Melvin Handler
Melvin Handler is the proud father of comedian, author, actress and late-night talk show host, Chelsea Handler.
Melvin’s daughter is well known for being the host of the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately, which aired on E! The blonde New Jersey native decided to become a comic after getting a positive response from telling a story about a DUI to a class of other offenders. She later landed a role as a regular on the Oxygen Network series Girls Behaving Badly.
Since then, Chelsea has gone from playing on an all-female Punk’d style prank show to becoming one of late night’s most viable entertainers. The sharp-tongued comedian has also written a total of five books, all of which have made the New York Times Best Seller List.
The 44-year-old is the youngest of six children born to Melvin and his wife, Rita –who are also the parents of Chelsea’s two sisters and three brothers; Sydney, Shoshanna, Glen, Roy and Chet.
Melvin Handler and his wife, lost son Chet –after he fell off a cliff in a hiking accident at age 21.
While her mother stay home caring for the children, her father, was the owner of a used car dealership in New Jersey. Melvin, was Jewish, while Rita, was a Mormon. The parents raised Chelsea and her siblings in Reform Judaism. Melvin was left a widower following the death of wife Rita, in 2006 of breast cancer.
Prior to marrying Chelsea’s mother, Melvin Handler fathered a son with another woman –this according to Chelsea’s new memoir “Life Will Be the Death of Me:…And You Too!” In the upcoming book, the comedian was remininded of the family secret during a trip she made to Peru in order to try Ayahuasca –which causes hallucinations. Chelsea says she was overcome with childhood emotions after trying Ayahuasca.
During a 2017 interview for the Huffpost , Chelsea revealed she wanted to murder her father “I’d murder my father. There’s an age demo and he’s outlived it. If I could murder him and get away with it, or not murder him, but euthanize him, then I would. He’s not bringing any joy to anyone.”
Melvin Handler was born Seymour Handler on November 26, 1931. According to his obituary , he graduated from Weequahic High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in history. He died in September of 2018.
