Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy arrive for the 64th annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

Chelsea Handler Was Only Willing To 'Bend' So Much For Ex Jo Koy

Home / Entertainment / Chelsea Handler Was Only Willing To 'Bend' So Much For Ex Jo Koy

By Fiyin Olowokandi on July 23, 2022 at 10:00 PM EDT

Chelsea Handler is opening up about her shocking breakup from Jo Koy for the first time since sharing the news.

The renowned comedian made a recent appearance on Glennon Doyle's "We Can Do Hard Things" and shared some truths about her relationship and what caused the split.

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Chelsea Handler Discusses Breakup From Jo Koy

In the episode titled "On Breaking Up & Being Unbreakable," Handler revealed that she and Koy were initially scheduled to appear on the podcast to talk about love.

However, when Doyle reached out to her about the scheduling, they were having some problems and going to therapy to work it out. Little did she know she would appear on the podcast alone.

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Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy arrive for the 64th annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
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When asked how she is faring now, the "Chelsea Lately" host broke down in tears while telling Doyle she was doing okay. "I'm okay. I mean I feel optimistic about the future. I've changed so much and my love was like so big that it just blew me open.

She admitted that it was "painful" to see their relationship end, but she understands strongly "that every door shutting is a new beginning," thanks to therapy.

The comedienne chose to look at her breakup in a positive way, saying she had the "courage" to say things were not working. Hence, she is so happy "to be handling a breakup in an honest way for the first time in life instead of distracting and deflecting."

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During this difficult time, Handler revealed she is focusing on therapy while leaning on her support system consisting of friends and family.

Some of the tools she has employed to deal with the breakup include meditation, reflection, reading, and sitting in nature. "Nothing is breaking me," she declared.

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What Caused The Breakup Between Handler & Koy?

During the candid and emotional episode, Handler opened up about her decision to end things with the "Easter Sunday" star while giving pointers on when relationships are no longer working out.

She shared that when a relationship is untenable and a couple begins arguing rather than talking lovingly that might be a sign. Handler didn't attribute these characteristics to her romance with Koy. However, she spoke about choosing herself.

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"I wasn't going to abandon myself. And if I have to choose one person, I have to choose myself," she explained. The 47-year-old then touched on the topic of compromise, revealing that in her past relationships she used to be "intransigent."

However, with Koy things were different for many reasons. In her words, "...like I said, it's nice to bend for people, it's nice to learn how to compromise, it's nice to be able to demonstrate my love publicly. That was something I was never able to do for anybody, but I believe Jo needed that and it was partly for that and partly for our fans because of the reaction we got when we got together, that warmed my heart so much."

She continued, "And I was so inspired by us. But, you know, Jo didn't crack me open. My psychiatrist cracked me open and then I was open and then I was able to bend for somebody and move and compromise and make them the biggest part of my life, but you can't change somebody intrinsically and so I was willing to do so much bending, but there's a line and I'm very proud of myself because I didn't let myself cross that line, you know?!"

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Handler Shares Hopes For The Future

Despite their painful breakup, Handler isn't giving up on love and staying positive. "I still believe that my person is coming, whether that is Jo Koy at a certain time or if it's not, I accept that. I love him and he's in his own path," she declared.

"I think I'm at a place in my life where I have to be with somebody who's where I'm at with that, and that's not to say anything about Jo Koy. I love him and he's on his own path and, you know, I just, that's what I need as a human being," Handler added.

As The Blast covered earlier, Handler broke the news of their breakup on Monday sharing a heartwarming video they had recorded in anticipation of their first dating anniversary.

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"In anticipation of celebrating our first year together, Jo and I recorded this video early, but as many of you have noticed, it is with a heavy heart to announce that we have decided together that it is best for us to take a break from our relationship right now," she wrote in the accompanying caption.

Handler praised Koy for blowing her heart open with love and renewing her faith in men. She concluded the breakup post, urging fans to "please continue to root for both of us, because you never know what life will bring."

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