Exclusive: Chelsea Handler Talks Turning 50, Having Zero Regrets

Nailing Chelsea Handler down on any given calendar day is no easy feat. There’s the Dear Chelsea podcast, the Chelsea at The Chelsea Las Vegas residency, the recent Critics Choice hosting gig, a new Netflix special, The Feeling, out in March, and the release of her seventh book, a new memoir-in-essays titled I’ll Have What She’s Having, next week on February 25—which just happens to be her 50th birthday. A big one, indeed, but for the comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate, the busy months leading up to it have been filled with celebration, reflection and quality time with friends, family and her “little village.”

You’re between Vegas and LA and, according to your social media, it looks like you’ve been skiing a bit in Canada. Do you ever sleep?

The last few months have been pretty much the biggest hustle I’ve been on in a long time. There’s been a lot of prep for everything that is going on during this beginning part of the year. I like to bank a lot of podcasts before I come up to Whistler, so that I get some time off when I’m there. 

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When you’re on the road, you need to stay healthy and strong because the travel is so hard on your body. When I do three shows in a weekend, by the end of the third show, I’m done. And I’m not even doing what Taylor Swift is doing. I don’t understand how that girl stays alive. After three shows in three different cities, you’re pretty tapped out.

I usually come back to LA, and I take about 24 hours to myself. About 15 of those hours are spent sleeping to recharge for the week ahead. I also do an IV every week. I’m really good about taking my supplements—I take lots of anti-aging peptides, which help with the recovery from workouts. 

Working out is the most important thing for me. I work out every day—no matter what. Even if it’s just stretching and an abs class, I have to do something every day. I mainly do it to keep strong mentally but also, obviously, physically. As we get older, it’s so important to maintain that muscle and be strong. I love skiing. When I come up to Whistler, I come up here for the winter and base myself out of Whistler. In order to ski, I have to be really, really in shape. My whole year is geared toward skiing. 

Photos by John Russo | Full Look: TWP | Boots: Stuart Weitzman

I’m sure it’s a good mental break for you to be there and to be outside. Is beauty a part of your relaxation routine at night when you are relaxing?¹

I would love to say that it is, but I don’t even really wash my face. I do a lot of skin treatments—microneedling, lots of lasers, lots of radiofrequency. I’ve done pretty much every dramatic thing you can imagine. When I’m alone and I’m not working, I rarely put on any makeup, but I do put on moisturizer and a serum that I’ve been using for 25 years by Liz Earle. It’s a serum and a moisturizer and it has kept my skin so nice. 

Among the various other things that I do, if it doesn’t require makeup, I will not wear makeup.  I’ve never been a makeup person. I’ve never been into doing my makeup or wearing lots of makeup. I get that done enough in my life, so when I’m alone, I really keep it very simple. 

Obviously, hydration is important, but the idea that everyone’s banging on about water, water, water, water all the time is ridiculous. Water alone isn’t going to do it. You don’t have to drink as much water as everyone says you have to drink. You need the water with the electrolytes—that is what you need. If I have a jug of that a day, that’s all the water I drink. I’m not a water fanatic because I don’t love water.

I think you’re probably the only person in Hollywood who has ever said that.

I’m sick of everyone pushing it on us all the time! “You have to drink water. You have to drink water.” No one gave me water when I was a child. Nobody said: “You have to have a glass of water.” Now, kids are walking around with buckets of water. They go to school with a jug on their back. I’m literally like, “What is this?” When I was growing up, I had milk…sometimes orange juice. If I was a really good day, someone threw me a Capri-Sun. I wasn’t drinking water. I find this whole water industry to be very capitalistic. That’s not the thing that keeps you youthful and glowing, because I have all that without drinking a ton of water. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

A solid stance. You have a lot to be excited for with the book coming out and turning 50. Does this birthday bother you or are you ready for a new decade? 

I don’t care about age—I honestly don’t even think about it in that way. I think about it in the terms of what’s happening in my life. What’s my level of happiness? What’s my level of presence? We get tripped up a lot because we think we need to have it all figured out as we get older…and then you learn about meditation, and you learn about self-awareness, and you learn about positive vibes and wanting to spread those. But we can’t be perfect. 

For instance, the last couple of months have been so hectic. I have to admit, I’ve lost it a couple of times. And when I do, I’m like, “God, why am I losing it? Why am I losing it? I’m so much more together than I’ve ever been.” Even if you have it together, you’re never out of the woods. You have to give yourself grace and understand that you’re still going to get stressed out. You’re still going to be tested. You’re still going to have people getting on your nerves on certain days. You have to allow yourself the grace to navigate through that without beating yourself up for not being in the best mood all the time.

Very true. What are you looking forward to personally after the book is out?

My personal time is my Whistler time. I’m here right now. I have a nice mountain man, and we have a lot of fun together. I have my whole group of friends, my ski buddies up here. When I come up here, I bring my dog and it’s just heavenly. It’s like I live this little village life in this small little town. It’s such a nice reprieve from my real life that I just soak it in. It is my happy place. 

I have a new special coming out that’s going to come out after my book, about a month after the book. We haven’t announced that yet, but we will. We had the Critics Choice and a lot of other exciting things coming up for the year. I figured, it’s my 50th…let’s blow it out and let’s make things happen. 

The work I’m doing right now is also really motivating me. I’ve gone through periods of my life where I was just so burnt out. But this year I’m energized because I feel so strong and healthy. I want to reclaim what 50 means; I want everyone to reclaim what 50 means! It’s not what it used to mean. When my mom was 50, I remember thinking, “Oh, my God, she’s so old.”

I think about that now and I laugh. I’m like, “I’m single—I have boyfriends here and there—but overall, I’m single. I’m living the life that I’ve dreamt of living. I get to spend my winters in Whistler, and I have a beautiful family and lots of nieces and nephews.” I don’t feel like I’m missing out on a single thing. When people ask, “Do you regret not having children?” I’m like, “Regret? I celebrate every single day that I can that I don’t have children. I love that it is an option to spend time with children, not a requirement.” I’m just very excited and very motivated. Life is good.