Chelsea Handler Has Selective Amnesia, Calls Justin Bieber Worst Interview Guest

Chelsea Handler is calling out Justin Bieber as her worst-ever interview guest. She claims she felt like a “child molester” because the then-child star allegedly tried to flirt with her when he was a child.

Readers can decide for themselves by watching two of the former talk show host’s past interviews with the then underage Bieber. But, on the basis of the first linked video, it should be clear to most objective observers that Handler both initiated and encouraged the flirting.

While the then-teen heartthrob is gauchely flirty during the clip, Handler is far more so, and she is older. As well as her openly coquettish body language, these are some of the quips she directed to Bieber:

“When do you have regular time to, you know, look at pictures of me?” This continued. “Do you think you picked that up from me in our relationship?” “Do you want me to get you one of those massage chairs?”

She also said, “You know it’s embarrassing every time I see you with another woman… How do you think that makes me feel as a woman?” And, “I’m so excited that we’re spending Valentine’s Day together!”

Check out Chelsea Handler’s sit-down with a 17-year-old Bieber on Valentine’s Day, 2011.

Fast forward to the present, it’s bizarre that Handler — who is prone to sharing semi-naked selfies on social media — labelled the singer her worst celebrity guest during a Variety Studio interview on Saturday at a Sundance Film Festival event in Park City, Utah.

Referring to her tenure as host of E!’s Chelsea Lately (which ended in August, 2014), at first, Handler said, “Oh, there’s so many. I can’t decide.”

“I mean, Justin Bieber maybe, because he was trying to flirt with me and it was so uncomfortable,” she eventually declared.

The 40-year-old continued, “Like, that’s his schtick. He would come on and flirt with you and you just felt like a child molester right away, and I was like, I don’t want to feel that way.”

When asked if she thought flirting was really Bieber’s “schtick,” Handler replied, “I think he does that to, like — you know — you know, I think he probably does that with everybody.”

Honestly? Handler’s claim that she felt “uncomfortable” interviewing a jokingly, flirty child comes off as disingenuous, given that she once performed nude in a sketch with Ellen DeGeneres and Conan O’Brien, and has shared numerous bawdy tales in her books, including “My Horizontal Life” and “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.”

Watch Chelsea’s interview with Variety Studio below.

Handler went on to say the superstar never asked for her phone number, when she was asked if Bieber had done so. She was also asked if she was “into it,” in reference to their flirty exchanges.

Chelsea sardonically responded, “No, I was not sexually attracted to a child. Thank you for clearing that up on camera.”

As expected, Justin Bieber fans took to Twitter to express their anger at Handler’s comments about their idol. One fan slammed, “U would think @chelseahandler would be flattered that someone would still flirt with her old scrawny ass!!” (sic)

Another blistered, “I hate most people in Hollywood for sure,bunch or fake hypocrites. I would be hurt if I was J cos I’m sure he thought she was nice,” adding, “to him and they joked around all for fun. She needs to get over her self. Did she honestly think J was seriously flirting w/ her?”

One furious fan noted, “In all their interviews wasn’t she the one that started it?”

Yet another Belieber wrote, “Chelsea Handler is doing the most… Child molester is a reach… and if im not mistaken she was the one who always took it there?”

Chelsea Handler is doing the most…. Child molester is a reach… and if im not mistaken she was the one who always took it there

— alesha ?? (@justxleee) January 23, 2016

Below is another interview of Handler and Bieber in 2012. Again, the flirting is clearly two-way. As yet, the Canadian star hasn’t responded to Handler’s assessment of him as her worst-ever guest, and it’s unlikely that he will.

If you think you know why the host is selectively recalling her previous interviews with the highly topical singer while drumming up heat for her upcoming Netflix talk show, let us know in comments.

[Images via Jason Merritt/Getty Images/E!]