Chelsea Handler is finally taking her love life seriously. The 37-year-old comedienne, who documented her numerous one-night-stands in a 2005 book of essays, opened up about her on-again romance with hotelier Andre Balazs during a Feb. 18 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“We can talk about my boyfriend!” Handler said when host Ellen DeGeneres inquired about the wealthy hotelier, 56. “I love him. He’s the best.” (The New Jersey native’s exes include rapper 50 Cent, animal trainer Dave Salmoni and TV executive Ted Harbert.)
Handler and Balazs have been dating “two years, on and off,” the Chelsea Lately host added. “It’s very rocky, but I love him. I’m trying to blossom into womanhood. You’ve been in a relationship for a long time, so you’re a little bit probably more mature.”
DeGeneres, who wed actress Portia de Rossi in 2008, replied, “I’m not mature at all, but we’ve been together eight years.”
When a picture of Handler and Balazs flashed on the screen behind her, the Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea author smiled. “Isn’t he he handsome?” she asked the audience.
That same day, Balazs’ 23-year-old daughter, Alessandra, shared a picture of the happy couple via Instagram. “Happy early birthday, stepmonster,” she joked in the caption. Handler will celebrate her 38th birthday Feb. 25.
Handler was initially tight-lipped about her relationship with Balazs. During a May 2011 interview on Piers Morgan Tonight, she refused to share specific details about their courtship. “I’ve learned to respect somebody else’s privacy,” she explained. “It’s not about me, because obviously I would like to make fun of him as much as possible, but he has kids, so I have to be nice.”
