Chelsea Handler took center stage at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards with a sharp sense of humor, particularly addressing the ongoing legal drama surrounding former co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Opening her monologue at the ceremony held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday, January 12, Handler acknowledged the recent media frenzy surrounding the lawsuit.
“I want to acknowledge that we’ve been through a lot lately, not just here in Los Angeles, but our entire country,” Handler began. “Times like these call for distractions, and I want to personally thank Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively for providing us with that. We’re all grateful, and I think we’re good.”
In December 2024, Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, 41, accusing him of sexual harassment and attempting to tarnish her reputation. Baldoni, who directed and starred alongside Lively in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends With Us, has denied the allegations. Last month, Baldoni filed his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, claiming she was using the legal battle to paint him as a villain while downplaying her own “tone-deaf” film promotion. Lively has denied these accusations as well.
Handler continued, “Regardless of where you stand, I think we can all agree that a sequel isn’t happening. It ends with us, folks.”
Handler’s monologue also marked her third time hosting the Critics Choice Awards, which she humorously referred to as her “second longest relationship.” She also took time to highlight nominees such as Conclave, Angelina Jolie, and Wicked.
“We’re here to celebrate all the love and success in this room,” Handler said. “It’s great to see childhood stars like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande all grown up and thriving. And now, Ariana has even found love with a munchkin!”
Grande, 31, is currently dating Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who played the character Boq, a munchkin in the 2024 film. However, Handler’s joke about Grande’s relationship didn’t land well with the audience, especially with Grande herself.
Handler is no stranger to bold humor. Last year, while hosting the event, she took a jab at her ex-boyfriend Jo Koy. After receiving laughs for one of her jokes, she quipped, “Thank you for laughing at that. My writers wrote it.”
Koy, 53, faced criticism earlier in January 2024 after his Golden Globe Awards monologue failed to gain laughs. He had said, “Some I wrote, some other people wrote,” and added, “Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago. You want a perfect monologue? Shut up! You’re kidding me, right? I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.” He later apologized, saying, “Those writers are dope, and that was not my intention at all.”
In October 2024, the Critics Choice Association announced that Handler would return as host for the third consecutive year. The awards ceremony, which honors the best in film and television, was also set to air live on E! for the first time after previously airing on The CW.
“We’re thrilled to be working with E! to present our landmark 30th annual Critics Choice Awards,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “With Chelsea Handler returning as host, we know this special 30th anniversary show will be our biggest and best yet, and we’re excited to air it live on E! and stream it on Peacock the following day.”
Handler herself reflected on the significance of the move, saying, “Returning for the third year to host the Critics Choice Awards has been made even sweeter knowing it will now air on E! It feels like I’m returning to my birthplace.”
