Finding the Plot with Cheri Oteri

Summary

Dear Chelsea: "Finding the Plot with Cheri Oteri"

Date: June 11, 2026
Host: Chelsea Handler
Guest: Cheri Oteri (comedian, SNL alum, actress)
Co-Host: Katherine
Summary prepared by an expert podcast summarizer

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Episode Overview

This week's episode of Dear Chelsea features comedic icon Cheri Oteri, best known for her impactful run on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) and recent roles in "Scary Movie 6" and "Celebrity Autobiography." Chelsea, Katherine, and Cheri dive into candid, humorous, and vulnerable territory: Cheri’s career journey, her health scare and friendship with Jill Biden, the strange logistics of burial plots, women's friendships, and heartfelt advice to listeners navigating life's transitions. The episode blends signature Chelsea irreverence with real, raw moments of empathy and inspiration.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Health, Beauty, and Life Updates (03:30 – 05:45)

• Chelsea’s Current State:

  • Chelsea opens up about her ongoing battle with post-nasal drip and shares a funny anecdote about getting her eyebrows tattooed, blending self-deprecation with her usual candor.
    • “I sound like I have post nasal drip, which is what I have.” (03:32)

• Comedy on Self-Care:

  • The conversation sprawls into beauty routines, the pain (or lack thereof) of cosmetic tattoos, and daily irritations, setting a familiar, relatable tone.

2. LA Politics & Community Frustrations (05:45 – 08:30)

• Political Discussion:
  • Commentary on LA’s mayoral race, frustrations with bureaucracy, and local candidates, with Chelsea and Katherine voicing support for Nithya Raman as a candidate working for real change.
    • “I’m starting to understand that L.A. is just completely mismanaged from within.” – Chelsea (06:01)
    • “We need to change things from the inside out... there’s too much bureaucracy.” – Chelsea (06:01)
    • “She’s got degrees in political theory and urban planning from both Harvard and MIT... she’s way more qualified than any of these other fucks.” – Chelsea (08:24)

3. Cheri Oteri Joins: On Interviews, Fame, and Friendship (08:33 – 10:20)

• Discomfort with Interviews:

  • Cheri admits her hesitance to do interviews out of concern for being misinterpreted:
    • “You don’t want to say anything that’s going to get blown up and used as a headline.” – Cheri (09:19)
  • Chelsea reassures her:
    • “When you're with me, you're safe because I'm the only one that gets in trouble constantly and creates headlines.” – Chelsea (09:26)

• Mutual Admiration:

  • Warm, comedic banter about respect for each other’s comedic “balls” (and labia).

4. On Pickleball, Socializing, and Relationships (10:23 – 15:14)

• Pickleball as a Social Tool:
  • Cheri talks about discovering pickleball, finding it a fun yet accessible sport:
    • “It’s about looking athletic, not being athletic.” – Cheri (10:48)
  • They laugh about meeting people through recreational sports and the sometimes low barrier to entry of trendy activities.
  • Both discuss approaches to friendship and romance, with Cheri openly admitting she thrives alone:
    • “Because I do alone so well, to be with somebody, they've gotta be, you know, somebody that's like, there's chemistry. I don't need a companion.” – Cheri (15:31)

5. Cooking, Barbecues, and Dogs (17:03 – 19:55)

• Signature Dish & Domestic Life:
  • Cheri shares her go-to recipe (cedar plank salmon), sparking classic Chelsea jibes about home cooking and her own lack of barbecue expertise.
  • Hastings about rescue dogs and animal adoption:
    • “I love that you rescued, though.” – Cheri (19:18)
    • Cheri details her deep love of dogs, listing her pets’ creative names (Adele Castro, Desmond Tutu, etc.)

6. Surviving and Thriving after SNL (20:07 – 23:52)

• The Realities of SNL:

  • Cheri describes the emotional grind and intense competition:
    • “It’s like you’re auditioning every week to get a show you already got.” – Cheri (21:01)
    • “You’re competing with writers who are supposed to be writing for you.” – Cheri (21:06)
    • Expresses gratitude for “The Groundlings” training and how it enabled her to create her own material.

• Career Transitions:

  • Cheri recounts shifting from SNL to sitcoms and the radical cultural change, from hostile competition to collaborative sets:
    • “First time I ever did a sitcom... I was like, what is this kind of utopia?” – Cheri (21:59)

7. Family, Identity, and Humor (27:58 – 30:16)

• Middle Child Syndrome:
  • Cheri reflects humorously on her role as a “middle child,” shaped by familial chaos and tough female role models:
    • “You know it’s kind of like we could have done without you.” – Cheri (28:00)
    • “I came out with a mustache... you better develop a sense of humor.” – Cheri (28:24)
  • Early comedic influence drawn from observing soap opera characters to cope with home life.

8. Health Scare & Sisterhood: Jill Biden & Breast Cancer (41:18 – 47:47)

• The Power of Women Supporting Women:
  • Cheri recounts a profound and timely connection with Jill Biden following a breast cancer diagnosis (DCIS):
    • “I was just diagnosed with DCIS, with breast cancer... This is so serendipitous.” – Cheri (43:41)
    • Jill Biden’s outpouring of support and personal attention:
      • “She goes, I am with you on this.” – Cheri (43:04)
      • “Get your mammogram. I caught it really early.” – Cheri (44:19)
    • Shares the importance of a second medical opinion when facing serious diagnoses.

9. Friendship, Community, and Life After Fame (39:07 – 41:14)

• Cheri’s Current Life:
  • Stresses the importance of genuine friendships, women’s circles, and low-maintenance celebrity lifestyle:
    • “I never ever really felt like a celebrity... I’m at Home Depot, I’m at Lowe’s, walking the dogs...” – Cheri (39:07)
  • Bonding over charcuterie boards, game nights (Rummy Cube), and building supportive female communities:
    • “I’ll do a charcuterie board. Happy hour. Or they’ll do it. Not as good as me, but it’s not a competition.” – Cheri (40:27)

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Listener Advice Questions

1. "Can I Use My Friend’s Baby Name?" (53:19 – 54:22)

Caller: Britt
Situation: Britt wants to name her soon-to-be-born son a name her friend had previously “called dibs” on but hasn’t used.
Advice:

• Chelsea, Cheri, and Katherine all agree: names can’t be “owned.” If you love it, use it—especially if your friend isn’t pregnant.
  • “Who cares? I mean, really?” – Cheri (54:11)
  • “You can’t... you don’t own names. That’s not fair.” – Chelsea (54:17)

2. "How Do I Choose My Own Burial Plot?" (57:24 – 65:28)

Caller: Julie
Situation: Asks about the logistics of purchasing her own burial plot as a single, mobile, 30-something—should she plan ahead even if her life is uncertain?
Advice & Reception:

• Chelsea finds this question refreshing and a little darkly comical:
  • “I’ve never heard anyone talk about this ever at your age.” (57:47)
• Gentle advice: Don’t stress or hurry; your existing spot next to your mom in Cleveland is a fine placeholder.
• Cheri and Chelsea recommend cremation for flexibility and environmental reasons, but also honor Julie’s Jewish tradition.
• The conversation takes a humorous turn to cemetery “real estate” and chosen-family burial plans.
• Cheri shares her fascination with “near-death experiences” and encourages embracing the unknown.

3. "How Do I Know If I’m Following My Intuition or Sabotaging Stability?" (69:21 – 75:12)

Caller: Gretchen
Situation: A 41-year-old therapist and widow, Gretchen feels “off” in her stable life, ready for radical change but unsure if it’s clarity or restlessness.
Advice:

• Chelsea and Cheri celebrate Gretchen’s letter, affirming that her quest for authenticity and the discomfort of change are natural and necessary:
  • “None of these phases are permanent. All of your feelings of discomfort are temporary.” – Chelsea (73:09)
  • “Life breaks you down to open you up.” – Cheri (73:10)
  • “The universe is moving you.” – Cheri (74:43)
• They encourage embracing the unknown and trusting the process, promising that new lights always emerge at the end of every tunnel.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Interview Anxiety:
  • “You don’t want to say anything that’s going to get blown up and used as a headline.” – Cheri (09:19)
  • “I admire your balls.” – Cheri (09:48)
• On SNL:
  • “It’s like you’re auditioning every week to get a show you already got.” – Cheri (21:01)
  • “It sucks when you feel like you’re competing with the writers.” – Cheri (21:38)
• On Women’s Support:
  • “That is a woman with a huge heart... I never felt so supported.” – Cheri about Jill Biden (44:19)
  • “Get your mammogram. I caught it really early.” – Cheri (44:54)
• On Singlehood & Relationships:
  • “Because I do alone so well, to be with somebody, they've gotta be... somebody that's like... there's chemistry. I don't need a companion.” – Cheri (15:31)
• On Death and the Afterlife:
  • “I find death very, very interesting... I've just listened to near-death experience stories. They're so beautiful.” – Cheri (64:06)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chelsea & Katherine Catch Up (Non-Content): 03:30–05:45
• LA Politics & Community Discussion: 05:45–08:30
• Cheri Oteri Enters, Interview Discomfort: 08:33–10:20
• Pickleball, Friendship & Romance: 10:23–15:14
• Cooking, Barbecues, Rescued Dogs: 17:03–19:55
• SNL Experiences & Writing: 20:07–23:52
• Family, Identity, Humor Origin: 27:58–30:16
• Cheri’s Health, Jill Biden’s Support: 41:18–47:47
• Listener Advice – Baby Name: 53:19–54:22
• Listener Advice – Burial Plot: 57:24–65:28
• Listener Advice – Life Change/Intuition: 69:21–75:12

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Tone & Style

• Consistently irreverent, quick-witted, and warm with space for real vulnerability.
• Candid storytelling from all speakers, blending humor with genuine emotional insight.
• Comedy and empathy are given equal priority, resulting in an engaging and deeply human conversation.

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Takeaways

• Dear Chelsea remains a resource for honest, bold, and compassionate advice, welcoming even the odd or macabre.
• Cheri Oteri’s openness about her health, career, and relationships models resilience, humor, and authenticity.
• The guest and hosts highlight the value of seeking support, trusting one’s path through confusing times, and celebrating the warmth of chosen family and friends.

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For more advice or to share your own question, email [e-mail]. Find more about Chelsea Handler’s tour at chelseahandler.com and catch Cheri Oteri in “Scary Movie 6” and “Celebrity Autobiography” (NYC, June 29 – July 6).

Transcript

[Chelsea Handler]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Katherine]

Hi, Chelsea.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hello. Excuse my stuffiness. I sound like I have post nasal drip, which is what I have.

[Katherine]

Damn, I hate when that happens.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes.

[Katherine]

Are you getting a sore throat from it? That always does that to me.

[Chelsea Handler]

No, I'm recovering from something else. I've had ongoing issues all year. I don't know what my problem is, but I now it's post nasal drip. So I sat last night, I got my eyebrows tattooed on.

[Katherine]

Oh.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh. So that was like a three hour excursion and. Thank you. Yeah. Hopefully this will save me lots of time.

[Katherine]

Yeah. And I feel like the best thing you can say is, like, I didn't notice that you got your eyebrows tattooed on. Like that's kind of where you want them to land.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, I think they just fill in the hot spots or the not so hot spots.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Right, right.

[Chelsea Handler]

So it was an arduous process. I'm glad it's over. But while I was. No, I mean, I guess it's slightly uncomfortable. I wouldn't say. I wouldn't categorize it as hurting. It's not like pleasant, but it's not unbearable or something. Yeah, sure. But as I was lying there, she identified my post nasal drip. Cause I kept. When you're lying down, you're like, which is my constant thing. And she was like, oh, you have post nasal drip. And I was like, oh, you're right. I do have post nasal drip. That's what I have.

[Katherine]

A tattoo and a diagnosis.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, exactly. She said, as you're my first tattoo. I didn't realize that your eyebrows are tattoos, like when you. But that's exactly what it is.

[Katherine]

Yeah. The micro needling or micro. No, microblading. Micro needling is a different thing.

[Chelsea Handler]

But microblading is tattooing.

[Katherine]

I think so. Because I always see all these girls on TikTok being like, oh, my microblading that they said would disappear in a year and it's five years later and it's still here sort of thing.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, I want it to last for five years. I don't want to have to rejuz this.

[Katherine]

Agreed.

[Chelsea Handler]

Anyway, so that was. That was exciting. I had a fun weekend of shows. We have Portland and Seattle this weekend, which is so, so easy breezy because I stay on the same coast. Nice. I love that. And then I'm heading to, you know, the East Coast. Summertime jams, Hyattisport, Cape Cod, Melody Tent, Nantucket. I'm gonna bring Yamaneka to Nantucket. So I'm being introduced to a black woman there because the last time I was there, there were no black people.

[Katherine]

It'll be their first one.

[Chelsea Handler]

So, yeah, we need to bring some more black people to Nantucket.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Perfect.

[Katherine]

I have a crazy story for you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Is it about the mayoral race in la? Thank God. Thank God Spencer Pratt's out of that than.

[Katherine]

I'm very glad about that. I will. I kind of, like, had forgotten that it was a primary and it was not going to be all of them, but I'm like, if I vote for Nithya, is that going to mean Spencer? It's going to be Spencer. Whatever. Like, I didn't want to anyway.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right. Right.

[Katherine]

We knew we were going to have Karen Bass in there.

[Chelsea Handler]

So I'm starting to understand that LA is just completely mismanaged from within. Like, I think that anyone in a mayoral position in this city has a whole council board that they have to deal with, and it's not easy to get anything done in this city. So we need to change things from the inside out. Like, something different has to happen in the way things are. There's too much bureaucracy. So it's, it's, it's. It's really hard to be a successful mayor in this city.

[Katherine]

Right. Because you can't win. Right. Like, you can't side with the people in power or, like the police or anything like that. But you also need, like, you need to make systemic change if you're going to make any change at all in the city. Like, yeah, it's.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, I'm from Nithya Rahman. I'm gonna support her. I've been supporting her, and at least, I don't know, you know, I just have to, like, have hope in the city that we can turn things around. I'm so grateful that Spencer Pratt is just no longer in. Involved in this. I don't want to hear that for another five months.

[Katherine]

Yeah, Nithya, like, she's been in it, like, since the beginning. She's from the ground up.

[Cheri Oteri]

She.

[Katherine]

I forget what exactly happened, but when she was first running for, like, city council member, something happened where she was planning to campaign for, like, six months, and then it wound up, like, the vote got delayed or whatever, so she had to campaign for like, two years or something. And then she finally got it. Like, you know, everybody has their flaws, but I think she's like, actually somebody who's in it to make positive change wherever she can, so.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, well, they're not all. I mean, yeah, they're all like, I had so many people saying, what about the dogs on skid row? What about the dogs on skid row? I'm like, I'm sorry, are we voting for, like, are we not voting for human beings here? Right. Like, that can't be the biggest problem in this. This city. The dogs on skid row. Yes. That's terrible.

[Katherine]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

We all know that I love to rescue dogs, but that's not the number one issue here.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

There's people before the dogs that we have to be worried about, almost.

[Cheri Oteri]

People.

[Katherine]

50 square blocks of people on skid row. Like, it's enormous. There's a lot of. There's a lot of systemic change. And she's very, like, pro figuring out what to do about the unhoused and, like, providing services and. Yeah, yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, yeah, that's what I liked about her, that encampments were down 54% in her district. And I had people that live in her district that loved her. I also had people that didn't love her, but whatever.

[George Taveras]

Yeah, we did.

[Sam Taggart]

We were in her district when she first came around.

[Katherine]

Yeah, she was in our district. We voted for her from. From the way beginning.

[Chelsea Handler]

I mean, look, politicians are problematic, but

[Sam Taggart]

she's got degrees in political theory and

[Chelsea Handler]

urban planning from both Harvard and mit.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, she's way more qualified than

[Chelsea Handler]

any of these other fucks that are around.

[George Taveras]

And she's a woman, and we love that.

[Chelsea Handler]

And we have a very exciting guest today. You know her from SNL and Just like that and the Scary Movie franchise, which I've been seeing every. You can also catch her in Celebrity Autobiography in New York City from June 29th through July 6th. Please welcome Cheri Oteri. Okay, this is great. We have. Sheri Oteri is in the house, and she's sitting in very close proximity to me because we're on a podcast. And that's what you do not like. When we were at the Netflix brunch where I sat down very close to you to introduce myself because I don't think that we had ever met over the years, right. And I sat down and I said, hey, I know you're coming on my podcast. And she said, I. I don't like doing interviews. And I wanted to know why you don't like doing interviews. It's not uncommon. A lot of people feel this way.

[Cheri Oteri]

Listen, your podcast is popular, and it's kind of like you don't wanna say anything that's going to get blown up

[Chelsea Handler]

and used as a headline. That's my specialty. When you're with me, you're safe because I'm the only one that gets in trouble constantly and creates headlines constantly.

[Cheri Oteri]

That's what I'm hoping for.

[Chelsea Handler]

So you're just look at this as like, at the. People are gonna take my words and use them to make headlines.

[Cheri Oteri]

I admire your balls.

[Chelsea Handler]

Thank you so much. Like my labias.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

Minora and majora. Please include all of them.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Chelsea Handler]

I don't discriminate. Well, I appreciate you saying that, but I'm a huge admirer of yours. I think you are one of the funniest people on the planet. And I love getting to see you in movies because once you left snl, I'm like, how are we supposed to get our Cheri o Terry fix? I mean, you on that show is just. First, let's talk. First of all, let's talk about pickleball, because you're an avid pickleballer.

[Cheri Oteri]

I'm not avid.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, yeah, it seems like you are.

[Cheri Oteri]

No, but I do like it a lot. It's something everybody can do.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's the problem that I have with it, is that everybody can do it. And so I don't think it's such a. How do I want to say this? People think that when they're good at pickleball, that means that they're athletic and not at all. Right. Well, that. Thank you. Thank you for clarifying that.

[Cheri Oteri]

It's about looking athletic, not being athletic.

[Chelsea Handler]

Who introduced you to pickleball?

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, my cousin in New Jersey. They have a pickleball court, and that's how I started playing.

[Chelsea Handler]

But didn't you find the rules Absolutely. So confusing the kitchen and the point system. Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

I'm just playing to hit the ball and to get it in where I'm supposed to get it in. You know, I'm not lazy, but. Yeah, I mean, anybody can do it. And I'm thinking, what a healthy way to meet people, because I'd like to meet people.

[Chelsea Handler]

Are you trying to meet people? Sure. What kind of people would you like to meet? Friends? Lovers? What are you in the mood for? Is that a loaded question?

[Cheri Oteri]

No. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is where the interview part gets tricky.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. This is what I'm so good at.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

This is.

[Chelsea Handler]

But we're just talking about pickleball, though. Just because pickleball. Pickleball is a good place to meet people.

[Cheri Oteri]

Pickleball with a penis.

[Chelsea Handler]

When people talk about pickleball, one of the first things that they typically say is that it's a great place to meet people or it's a great way to meet people. And it's a great way to not overexert yourself while meeting people, because if you.

[Cheri Oteri]

I went to this court, my friend invited me, and there were these guys who were playing, and, my God, they were playing like, pow. I mean, so hard. And it's fun to watch, but it's not necessarily a spectator sport. But I'm playing, you know, with other women and everything, and I'm just thinking, God, I'd love to just sit there and. And watch them play. They're hitting the ball so hard.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you like to watch tennis?

[Cheri Oteri]

I'll watch tennis. I'm not an avid tennis watcher. Oh, I like watching basketball.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, if you like to see balls being hit hard, tennis is a good.

[Cheri Oteri]

Apparently, I do.

[Chelsea Handler]

Tennis is a good sport to watch. I love watching tennis.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. I went to the Desert Smash.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, in Indian Wells.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Palm Desert.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh.

[Cheri Oteri]

And played pickleball. Had a pickleball clinic. Well, hello, lover.

[Chelsea Handler]

Doug. Doug, say hi to Sherry.

[Cheri Oteri]

And it was fun. You know who was one of my instructors? Do you remember? I remember from being a kid. Remember Vince Van Patten.

[Chelsea Handler]

Vince Van Patten. I know that name. Is that a word?

[Cheri Oteri]

The Van Patten? Remember Dick Van Patten?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, yes.

[Cheri Oteri]

And he had handsome sons.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, it's his son.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. And he's married to Eileen Davidson, who was on Young and Restless. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Katherine]

Very handsome.

[Chelsea Handler]

Were you a soap opera person?

[Cheri Oteri]

Young and Restless.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. Well, first of all, you should know it's the Young and the Restless. I can't even believe you're mispronouncing some

[Cheri Oteri]

of us abbreviate It. Because we've been so good for so many years.

[Chelsea Handler]

I was into General Hospital in Santa Barbara. Those were my two. And that was a conflict because they were both on at the same time.

[Cheri Oteri]

I would watch Santa Barbara sometimes. Cause it was just leftover from. It was right after Young and Restless.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Cause Young and the restless went from 1:30 to 2:30. It was a half hour break. Like. Sorry. It went from like a half hour to a half hour. Whereas Santa Barbara was, I think, three to four or two to three. So you had to pick and choose which soap operas.

[Cheri Oteri]

Robin Wright. Pen. Yeah. Was on there.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Robin Wright was. I was obsessed with Robin Wright because this was before the Princess Bride. Remember when she was so young and beautiful. She's still beautiful. She actually just stayed at my house in Mallorca. She went there for her 60th birthday.

[Cheri Oteri]

Last name pants, first name fancy. We just bring up this person. Oh, she just stayed in my place in Mallorca. Of course she did.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, she did. She called me out of nowhere. I hadn't heard from her in about two years.

[Cheri Oteri]

Me either.

[Chelsea Handler]

And I was like, oh, why is Robyn FaceTiming me? This is very strange. And she was with her new lover, and they're madly in love. And she's like, chelsea, we want to spend our. I want to spend my birthday with you. There's nobody I'd rather spend my birthday with. And I'm like, when is your birthday? And she's like, oh, it's this. And I'm like, I'm on tour. And she's like, is your house in Mallorca free? And I was like, oh, you want to spend your birthday with my house? I was like, no energy problem. That requires a lot less effort for me and an easy guy. Like a very easy now.

[Cheri Oteri]

Did she meet him playing pickleball? I don't think so.

[Chelsea Handler]

She does play pickleball. I think Robin does play pickleball, but I don't know that they met playing pickleball.

[Cheri Oteri]

I'd love to know how people meet.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Are you looking to meet someone? Are you looking to pick up a lover? Is that. Are you in the market?

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, you know what?

[Katherine]

Yes.

[Cheri Oteri]

But I'll tell you something. I do alone so well.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, I think most women thrive, like

[Cheri Oteri]

where some women have to be in a relationship. I never felt that way. Never. And so I think for. Because I do alone so well, to be with somebody, they've gotta be, you know, somebody that's like, there's chemistry. I don't need a companion.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, well, no, of course not. And when do you wanna. Do you feel comfortable talking about your last. Like, have you had a long relationship? Did you like being in a long relationship? Or did you, like, have you ever lived with someone and did you like that?

[Cheri Oteri]

It was easy. I will say it was easy. And, you know, and during the pandemic, and we breezed through it because we both were into cooking, and we ate like. I think we whittered out once or twice. And so we cooked, and then we had our pot of people and we just cooked. And it was. It was. It was great. And then I just realized that I had been single for so long that I thought I was being too judgmental. And I thought, not judgmental. They have to be this. This. It's really just chemistry, you know, I can.

[Chelsea Handler]

I relate to what you're saying, though.

[Cheri Oteri]

You want to be attracted. You want to love their personality, and they, you know, to have a great sense of humor. That's not easy to find, especially when you're not looking. And I don't want to look.

[Chelsea Handler]

Let's get back to the cooking. What kinds of things can you cook? What's your signature dish?

[Cheri Oteri]

Cedar plank salmon.

[Chelsea Handler]

Cedar planks.

[Cheri Oteri]

You're very mean.

[Chelsea Handler]

Back the fuck up. What kind of cedar plank are you working with?

[Cheri Oteri]

You just buy cedar planks and you soak them for, like. I'll soak them for overnight on the cedar plank.

[Chelsea Handler]

You soak it on the plank?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, you just soak the planks.

[Chelsea Handler]

What is a plank?

[Cheri Oteri]

It's a cedar plank. It is.

[Chelsea Handler]

All I know is the plank position

[Cheri Oteri]

you do in a workout you can order them on. What it does is it steams. Once it's completely soaked all the way through, you put it on the hottest barbecue and it cooks the fish through the cedar plank steam. And it just gives it a flavor. It's like the steak of seafood, because I chop up fresh garlic and parsley from my garden and olive oil, salt and pepper. It's really kind of easy. And then perfect timing of 20 minutes on the grill.

[Chelsea Handler]

And do you flip the salmon or you keep it on one side? You don't flip salmon?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, no.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm a big salmon eater, so this is actually appealing to me. Not that I have a cedar plank or that I will ever learn how to use it. Someone else will do that for me. Because let me tell you something. I have to be honest.

[Cheri Oteri]

Once you do learn how to do

[Chelsea Handler]

it, you need a barbecue, right?

[Cheri Oteri]

You don't have a barbecue.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm saving up for one. I think I Do have a barbecue outside.

[Cheri Oteri]

It's the Memorial Day sale.

[Chelsea Handler]

There's always another sale coming around the corner. I'll wait until Labor Day, sister. That's how a barbecue. No, I think I do have a barbecue outside.

[Cheri Oteri]

I think I do.

[Chelsea Handler]

But I'm. Listen, I'm a little bit like, I

[Cheri Oteri]

think I have one in Mallorca.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, I know you do because the

[Katherine]

new dog was standing on top of it the other day.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. I got this new rescue who you just met, and he was standing on top of things. He doesn't. I don't think he can judge height. So he was standing on top of the barbecue and it's like six feet off the ground. I'm like, do not jump. Cause he is not spry like Doug. He's got a little. It looks like he's been in a

[Cheri Oteri]

couple of bar fights where he. What his background is.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

They said if they found him in a field. And my sister goes, what? Can they be more specific? Bakersfield. Like a field of what? The field of dreams. She's like, what field did they find him in? I'm like, okay, that's a good question. Let me follow up.

[Cheri Oteri]

I love that you rescued, though.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, of course. You have animals rescued. Are you a cat person, though? I thought you said that.

[Cheri Oteri]

No. Oh, I mean, I've had a cat before. When I was on snl, I had a cat, but. And I love all animals, but I love dogs. It's. It's. I've got. I've had Ricky and then Sweet Mama and I had them together. And when they passed, I got Adele Castro and Adele Castro or Adele, Adele Castro and Desmond Tutu. Desi. Cute, but like, I can't wait to get home to my dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

I know. It's. There's nothing better. Last night I came home and I was like, I just couldn't wait to just be with them and hang out. Like, late nights is fun, you know, and they're getting to know each other, so it's pretty cute. Do you like to talk about snl?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, I don't mind talking about snl.

[Chelsea Handler]

Was it hard to. How many years were you on snl?

[Cheri Oteri]

Five.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. Was it hard to. It felt like longer than that.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

You were such a staple of that show and you and Will together. I mean, so fun. Was it a hard adjustment to leave that show? No, no. Were you ready to leave?

[Cheri Oteri]

I had a five year contract and I felt so good about the five years that I had done. And it is. Emotionally, it's rough.

[Chelsea Handler]

I've Heard. I've heard, yes.

[Cheri Oteri]

And if you don't have tools in your toolbox, which I didn't even know I had to have a toolbox back then, you know, it's really hard. And so I kind of left just to take care of myself.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. I've heard that from so many people that have worked on that show, that it is a grind and that it is relentless.

[Cheri Oteri]

Well, it's like you're auditioning every week to get a show you already got, you know, Truly.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

And you're competing with writers who are supposed to be writing for you. Right. You know, and you can't if they don't. Nobody has to write for you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right.

[Cheri Oteri]

So it's you writing for yourself. And luckily, I had that background with the Groundlings, So it's you writing for yourself and hoping you have somebody to write with. And luckily I had, you know, Will and I wrote a lot together. Matt Piedmont, I wrote with. And it sucks when you feel like you're competing with the writers. I never felt like I was competing with my fellow actors.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's not fun to be in a work environment, and I've heard that a lot about snl, and obviously, you know, this is a very revered show. People love it. But, like, it is a very hard environment when you're constantly in competition with the people you're at work with. Like. And I know you could probably say that about a lot of jobs, but that's not a fun way for your psyche to exist. It's kind of like you're in survival mode. Right. Or flight.

[Katherine]

Always.

[Cheri Oteri]

Always. And it's so funny. Cause the first time I ever did a sitcom, I was like, what is this kind of utopia? Ms. Otiri, what would you like in your eggs? I'm like, what's your angle? What's your angle? What do you mean? You're in a 10 out of three. You know you're gonna be written for. I was just like, this is amazing. So anything after that is pretty.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know, is pretty easy. Like, doing even a film, they say, all right, Sherry, you want to go again? And, like, it's like, I could never go again. I was. There was always. You had to get it on one take.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know, and it's a great way to train yourself.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes.

[Cheri Oteri]

It's real discipline. But as hard as it was, I have to say, like, I. It was so amazing to be able to write whatever I imagined, anything I imagined. And, you know, I almost feel like I did that all growing up. I was always watching and imitating people. I didn't do impressions, but I would glean from. I would. I always felt like I was born without an identity, so I would observe other people so much. And yeah, I just grew up observing people.

[Chelsea Handler]

What number? How many siblings do you have?

[Cheri Oteri]

2. I was in the middle.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Yeah. That's very interesting. I've never heard anyone describe being the middle of two children before. Wow.

[Katherine]

Two siblings. Two.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh.

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh.

[Chelsea Handler]

I thought she said two. I was the middle. There were two children and I'm looking at her. What's going on? What? I was, like, waiting for the ball to drop or the punchline. Okay, copy that. So there's three total and you're in the middle. Oh, gosh.

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh.

[Katherine]

Hey, have you been thinking about writing into Dear Chelsea? Well, now is the moment. We're taking advice questions on anything that pops up. It's wedding season. Are you having wedding drama? Write in about that thing that you can't seem to agree with your spouse about, but you absolutely know you're right. Chelsea can tell you who's right and who's wrong. You can write in about a big life decision or just something small. Dating drama. Write in to dearchelseapodcastmail.com

[George Taveras]

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[George Taveras]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Cheri Oteri]

Like oh yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Really? In what ways?

[Cheri Oteri]

You know it's kind of like we could have done without you. But yeah, the first and the. You know my sister and then the boy, you know, my brother. And you know, my sister was like this golden haired blonde, adorable. And, you know, I came out with a mustache. And so it's like, you better develop a sense of humor. It's not looking good. Real quick, real quick. But when I was a kid, I would watch Young and Restless because I grew up around so much chaos. And I just was always amazed at how civilized people were on soap operas, you know, So I would always imitate and no one knew I was doing what I was doing. You know, I was doing my own kind of show.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

But no one. I just used anybody that was around as, like, my mother would come home and I would have, like clip on earrings and a scarf and as she would walk in and you know how in soap operas that it's. Here's the person, this person, they're both facing forward to the camera. And so I'd be in front of my mother and I was like, oh, mother, you startled me. I didn't hear you come in. And she'd go, who the fuck are you talking to? I'm like, cut, Reset. And like, she was gorgeous, but had, like, the worst mouth. And she was rough. All the women were rough in your family. Oh, yeah. Really?

[Chelsea Handler]

Like in an Italian way. In what kind of way?

[Cheri Oteri]

Italian, half Irish.

[Chelsea Handler]

Just rough, like, no charm.

[Cheri Oteri]

It was dog eat dog.

[Chelsea Handler]

Really? Yeah. Competitive?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, not competitive. It was just survival.

[Chelsea Handler]

Survival. Okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know, and I was so sensitive and I was, you know, you grew up thinking there's something wrong with you. Like, why am I not tough like that? And hence not wanting to do interviews

[Chelsea Handler]

to talk about these very subjects. Did I read that you're a life coach? No.

[Cheri Oteri]

Gosh, no. I played a life coach for amc. It was like a digital thing that I did years ago. And I thought, you know what, while I'm waiting, I'll. I'll do an online course. I thought, you know, maybe it'll help me in the, you know, back end of it, help myself. You know, people become therapists to maybe help themselves. And so I did, and it didn't help. I wanted to get the verbiage down. And all of the, you know, the nomenclature of the life coach.

[Chelsea Handler]

What do you think about life coaches in general? Like, people who hire.

[Cheri Oteri]

I think they're personal cheerleaders to me. You know, and it's like I said this, I said, why pay so much money and deal with the past when it's a lot cheaper? And it's about today and moving forward. Right. Which. That sounds good. You Know, but, yeah, I really think they organize your brain. I thought there was some legitimacy to it. After I, you know, took the classes, I was like, okay, I can see where this is helpful.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, for a certain personality, I would imagine that a life coach is really helpful because it's like, I remember going into therapy and I was like, I don't really want to deal with the past. I'm like, I just would like to move forward with some better habits. And he almost laughed at me. He's like, well, in order to do that, we actually have to deal with the past. And I'm like, but why? Like, that's done. Like, I just would like to focus on forward movement. And what he should have said is like, well, what you're looking for is a life coach, not a therapist, you know, or a psychiatrist, but they're not

[Cheri Oteri]

going to pass you off to. To a life coach. But I. I do see how it can help. Some people just need that personal cheerleader, you know. But I love doing it. I don't think anybody saw it, but I thought it was so funny, fun. I love doing it. Yeah, it was Liza Life Coach.

[Chelsea Handler]

Liza Life Coach. And were you doing a character?

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, yeah, just very close to myself.

[Chelsea Handler]

Close to yourself.

[Cheri Oteri]

I did it, shot it in New York and it was so much fun. But, yeah, no one saw it.

[Chelsea Handler]

So you're an LA girl, not a New York girl?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, I'm from just outside of Philly. And when I moved here, I moved here to get in the music business. I worked at A and M Records.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. I wasn't trying to be an actress, really.

[Chelsea Handler]

So then what happened?

[Cheri Oteri]

I was like, wow, if I'm ever going to make a fool of myself, this would be the time. I don't know anybody here. And because people always said, oh, you should do stand up. You should do stand up. But I couldn't imagine being myself and on stage. So then a woman said to me, oh, you should do the ground lengths. And I said, what's that? She said, it's an improv troupe. I said, what's improv? And I had no idea. And I went down the grillings and I saw and like, the clouds parted. I couldn't believe this place existed. I. I was like, this is like Saturday Night Live on stage. And so I started taking classes and I had a great job at A and M. I loved. I worked in promotion, I worked in publishing. And then.

[Chelsea Handler]

And so you did that, and then you did Groundlings on the side.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. And I got into the main company after Years. And I had an agent, a manager, commercial agent, said, this isn't a fluke. You need to quit your job. And I was so scared. You know, it's like changing completely, changing careers.

[Chelsea Handler]

How old were you at this time?

[Cheri Oteri]

Maybe 30, something like that. And so I did, and I started just temping at Disney Legal. And it wasn't fun. I was just, you know, temping and temping.

[Chelsea Handler]

I just want to say, not to interrupt you, but I just want to interpose that temping is one of the most soulless jobs you could do. I did that for years because you

[Cheri Oteri]

think, oh, I'm going to meet people. And what it is, is nobody wants to get close to you because they feel like they're cheating on the person that you're temping for.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right.

[Cheri Oteri]

You're going to be gone. I'm not investing in you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, exactly.

[Cheri Oteri]

And it was so lonely. What was funny was a year and a half later, after I got snl, I had a meeting with one of the lawyers there. And it was so funny because the lawyer that I met said to my manager, why is she talking to all the assistants out there? And it's because she was working with them a year and a half ago.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

And, you know, it was. It was really nice because so many people are doing something to do something else, you know, and it's, I think, inspired, I guess. But it was so nice to go back there and see all those people that I was, you know, where I was, who didn't talk to me. I guess now I'm safe to talk to. And then I got snl, and SNL is like my first job.

[Chelsea Handler]

And what was that audition process like for snl?

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, you do four or five characters in seven minutes. Something like that.

[Chelsea Handler]

And were any of the characters, the characters you ended up doing on the show?

[Cheri Oteri]

The lady on the porch, The Italian lady on the porch. I keep it now. But the Groundlings was everything. It taught me, everything. And it was the perfect training ground for snl. And I had to write because I was working at A and M, so I couldn't meet other people to write as much as the others that were acting. So I wrote by myself a lot. And it was. Little did I know, you know, it was something because you think that you're going to be written for on snl, and it's like, oh, no, that's a nice big surprise. But Lorne Michaels said, we want you to continue writing. I was so flattered. And it was like, oh, no. And you don't get paid for writing.

[Chelsea Handler]

Didn't I read sometime that he never actually officially hired you? Is that a true story?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, he did.

[Chelsea Handler]

He did. Like you never were.

[Katherine]

Realized you had gotten the job and

[Cheri Oteri]

that he said, we want you to come to New York. And I'm like. To shop for the day, like finish the sentence, you know, But I feel divinely I was guided there because I would have never dreamt that big.

[Chelsea Handler]

Mm, that's nice, you know? Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

And it's like, how do we get her out here? How do we. Let's see, let's have John break up with her, break her heart. Feel like there's nothing left for me there.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, wow.

[Cheri Oteri]

And I always wanted to live in California. Always. And it was truly, I felt like divine learning. Like, how do we get her out here? You know, and to get out here

[Chelsea Handler]

after snl, you mean?

[Cheri Oteri]

No, no, to get me to la, to get into the Groundlings.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right, okay, so. But then you moved to New York

[Cheri Oteri]

when I got snl.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would have been amazing if you had filmed SNL from LA and just never went to New York.

[Cheri Oteri]

I used to come back every time I had a two week hiatus.

[Chelsea Handler]

Because you love it here.

[Cheri Oteri]

I do, yeah. I really do.

[Chelsea Handler]

What are your favorite things about Los Angeles?

[Cheri Oteri]

Just the skyline. It's just, I mean, the landscape, you know, I was always amazed when I moved here and I couldn't believe driving home from waitressing from Carlos and Charlie's. Do you remember Carlos and Charlie's on Sunset?

[Chelsea Handler]

No.

[Cheri Oteri]

It was a club. It was like a nightclub. And I was waitressing there while I was looking for a job. And I remember coming home from there into the Valley. I could not believe how beautiful the lights were coming into the Valley. Like, it's still so beautiful.

[Chelsea Handler]

To me, driving on Mulholland, like at dusk or at night is always, really, always reminds me like, you know, I used to have a studio at Universal and I would lived in like. And I would just take Mulholland every day, even though it took like, you know, an extra 25 minutes. Because that drive, I always just cemented how much I love the beauty of this place. Cause I think la, like la, I go through phases where I really appreciate la. And then there are times where I'm like, oh, this place is just lame. There's no vibe here.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know, the only thing that bugs me is it is this business. It's everywhere. You know, I love when I just meet an accountant.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, but how often do you get to meet accountants? Are you meeting a lot of accountants?

[Cheri Oteri]

Just my own. But it, you know, it's. I miss the diversity of occupation. I mean, there are, you know. Yes, it is. But it's so central to this business, so centralized and it's. And you can't kind of get away from it unless you get away from it.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's right. Yeah. What is your relationship with, like, your celebrity? Like, how do you look at that? Because it's weird.

[Cheri Oteri]

I never ever really felt like a celebrity, and I didn't ever lean into it, and I'm never bothered by people, and I don't, you know, get asked for my autograph much or, you know, I live a really, like, you know, I'm at Home Depot, I'm at Lowe's walking the dogs, and I don't live a life like a celebrity.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. You know, what are your female relationships like at this stage in your life?

[Cheri Oteri]

Great. I have really good friends.

[Chelsea Handler]

And how long have you had them?

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, my gosh. Well, my best friend was the publicist at NBC.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

When I was there. She loves you. She was like, are you excited about Chelsea?

[Chelsea Handler]

And you're like, no, I hate being interviewed. Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

If one more tells me. One more person tells me to be myself and have fun, fuck that. I can be myself and have fun.

[Chelsea Handler]

And.

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, my gosh, my buddy Cameron and Nadine.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you hang out with your girlfriends as a big group? Do you hang out with girls one on one?

[Cheri Oteri]

Sometimes we'll let go, play cards.

[Chelsea Handler]

What kind of cards?

[Cheri Oteri]

Rummy Cube or I buy and let me see.

[Chelsea Handler]

I thought Rummy Cube was the. With the pieces.

[Cheri Oteri]

No, they're the tiles. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, that's the tiles.

[Cheri Oteri]

I'm into that. I'm into that now. I got my neighbors. I'm friends. I have great neighbors, great women. We'll come over each other's house and I'll do a charcuterie board. Happy hour. Or they'll do it. Not as good as me, but it's not a competition.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you make a mean charcuterie board?

[Cheri Oteri]

Yes, I do. Yes, I do.

[Chelsea Handler]

What do you put on your charcuterie board? Do you use your salmon plank for your charcuterie board to smoke your meat the night before?

[Cheri Oteri]

Gonna ease into dinner.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know, but yeah, boy, I'll tell you the women friends. I'll tell you something that recently happened. My friend had invited me to this dinner he was hosting for the Milken Institute.

[Chelsea Handler]

What does the Milken Institute do again?

[Cheri Oteri]

Women's health issues. Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

So I said, yeah. And Jill Biden was chair. And first I'm driving down the street, and there's all these cops that are stopping everybody. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And I said to the cops, you know, where can I park? And he said, anywhere you want. So this is where I parked it. Chelsea,

[Katherine]

it's just starting with a bunch of baby dudes.

[Chelsea Handler]

What are you on?

[Cheri Oteri]

I said, hey, fellas. The guy asked me, he goes, can I take a picture with you? And I said, oh, sure, if I can take a picture with you guys. He's like, you want to get on the bike? And I go, yeah. Want to play with the lights? I'm like, yeah, play with the lights. I did. But anyway, I go in there and. And Jill Biden immediately came up to me, and she goes, now, Sherry, are you from Philly or Jersey? And I said, I'm from outside of Philly, but I'm in Jersey a lot. And she's like, I'm from Jersey. I said, I know you're from Hamilton, the blueberry capital of the world. And, yeah. And she said, yeah. And I said, jill, when I found out that you were from Jersey, it was everything for me not to call you and ask you to pick up a bag of ice on the way. And she started laughing, and we just started talking. And then I'm sitting with all. All of these women, all of these accomplished, powerful women, and they were talking about in all these different occupations, but in women's healthcare. And there were investors there. And I'm just listening and listening to everybody speak. And it was the weirdest thing because I was just diagnosed with dcis, with breast cancer. I'm sitting there quiet, and I'm like, this is so serendipitous, you know, that. He's like, I want you to come and just. And be my guest. And I'm listening to all these women. And then at the end, Jill came up to me and we were saying goodbye, and I told her that I was just diagnosed. And she said, when is your surgery? And I said, the 26th. And she said, all right, you're going to get tired of me. And she says, I'm going through this with you. This woman, like, before my surgery, after my surgery, she just. She goes, I am with you on this. I was blown away. And then she was coming out to la, and she's like, let's have coffee. And I said, all right, I'll come to your hotel. And she goes, I don't want you to come here. There's so much security. And I go, yeah, for you, you know, like, she was bothered by the security there. And so we met at this coffee shop, and we just talked for two hours. And she was just. That is a woman with a huge heart. And through everything, she's, like, checking on me and just a beautiful human being. So I never felt so supported.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's really nice to see.

[Cheri Oteri]

By my friends, my girlfriends. And so she goes, you're gonna get sick of me texting you. And I'm like, seriously, Jill, knock it off. I'm okay. No, but what was funny was we were sitting there, and we're talking about everything with coffee. And she goes, sherry, you're really brave. And I go, jill, I caught it early. So that's my message to everybody, too, is, you know, get your mammogram. I caught it really early.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, thank goodness.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

And I just had surgery two days ago.

[Chelsea Handler]

What, from this? And this is your experience with Jill just now. Oh, this is present.

[Katherine]

Oh, my gosh. I was thinking this was like, a year ago or.

[Cheri Oteri]

No, this is, like a couple days ago.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. How are you feeling?

[Cheri Oteri]

Great.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, look at you. What a blessing.

[Katherine]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're sitting here healthy and happy. Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

The next day, I was like, wow, I'm okay. I just had a lumpectomy. And the other advice I want to give is get a second opinion. The first doctor I went to suggested something way more aggressive, and I'm like, what? Wait, I caught it early? And that is what you're proposing, you know, to do? I was like, that doesn't make sense. And I called a friend of mine who's a gynecologist, Sherry Ross, and she said, don't do anything until you talk to my friend. So I went to another hospital and had all my records transferred, and she said to me, this Dr. Grumley, she said, sherry, that's way too aggressive. And if I didn't get a second opinion, you know, if you need to, you need to. Right? But she said that, you know, you don't need to. And so I just had a lumpectomy, and everything looks normal. Fine.

[Chelsea Handler]

Thank you for sharing that. I mean, this is helpful to so many women listening.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. I mean, truly, get your mammogram, of course, but also get a second opinion.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes.

[Cheri Oteri]

You know what I mean? Like, everything. I wouldn't have. I really wouldn't have. Unless Sherry suggested that I do that. And. Yeah, I mean, I'm fine. And, you know, like, who would have thought, like, I'd have Jill Biden constantly calling me and texting me, are you okay? What they say, you know. But what's funny, when we were having coffee, she goes to me, sherry, you know, you can be vulnerable and it's okay to break. And I go, jill, I'm fine. Really, I'm good. And she's like, you know, you don't have to be so brave all the time. And I go, jill, seriously, I feel like I'm not scared. I'm really okay. I'm not in any pain. She goes, jo wasn't in any pain either, Sherry. And I go, all right, I'm scared now. Have your death. Okay?

[Chelsea Handler]

You happy? Are you happy?

[Cheri Oteri]

Jo was any. But she was just hands on. And that's beautiful.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's really beautiful when women who you don't know well, I mean, obviously the women in your life want to show up and protect you and be there for you during. Especially during times like the one you're describing. But when a stranger shows up in your life and is also that support ballast for you, it is really profound.

[Cheri Oteri]

It is so profound because here it's all about women's health issues and what we need to do, what's not being done, and sitting around and listening to all these accomplished women talking about this and me just kind of, you know, taking it all in, but sitting there just being diagnosed and thinking, okay, there's a reason for this. But luckily, I got through it like a champ. And I did have to have a second surgery because I didn't get it all.

[Chelsea Handler]

But so was yesterday or two days ago your second surgery? Okay. And when was the first surgery?

[Cheri Oteri]

Maybe a month ago.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

And no. No pain? No, I not even took anything for pain.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, you can give that stuff to me.

[Cheri Oteri]

Do you? That's the word on the street, yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you have that? Yeah. I would actually appreciate if you had brought that over today. And that goes for all of our callers and all of our listeners.

[Katherine]

I'll give you the P.O.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

box.

[George Taveras]

This is George Taveras and Sam Taggart from Stradiolab. Okay, Picture it. Your apartment after a Saturday workout. The gym bag, the couch, maybe even the car. Mi amor. It's a full novella of odors and not the glamorous kind.

[Sam Taggart]

That's where Febreze comes in. Boost, spray, Spritz, plug or clip. It doesn't just mask odors, it fights them, honey.

[George Taveras]

Want long lasting scent you can control? Try Febreze Plug Scent Booster Today. With the adjustable intensity dial, you can control the scent to match your mood. Plus, thanks to its fade, defy technology. Your home stays first day fresh for up to 50 days.

[Sam Taggart]

Need a quick car rescue? Clip a Febreze car vent clip and map your ride to freshness. And don't forget the fabric refresher while you you can't cram that cushion in the washer. You can top off every pillow fluff with a spritz of fabric refresher because

[George Taveras]

home should smell like you. Fabulous Fresh Unforgettable Febreze is a proud

[Sam Taggart]

sponsor of the Elton John Impact Awards, honoring those who have helped shape a more inclusive and compassionate world with their artistry, advocacy and unwavering commitment to equality.

[George Taveras]

You won't want to miss the Elton John Impact awards podcast, available June 1 on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

[Chelsea Handler]

This ad is brought to you by Vive Healthcare, the makers of Dovato Dolutegravir Lamivudine Living with HIV DO Learn about Dovato. Dovato is a complete HIV treatment by prescription only for some people 12 and older. Your doctor will determine if Devato is right for you. No other complete HIV pill contains fewer medicines than Dovato. Most HIV pills contain three or four medicines. Dovato is as effective as with two medicines.

[Vive Healthcare Voice]

It is unknown if Dovato is safe and effective if you have HIV and Hepatitis B if you have Hep B. Don't stop Dovato without talking to your doctor as it may get worse or harder to treat. Don't take Dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking Dofetilide due to serious or life threatening side effects. If you have a rash or allergic reaction symptoms, stop Dovato and get medical help right away. Other serious or life threatening side effects include severe liver problems and lactic acid buildup. If you're female or obese, you may be more at risk. Tell your doctor about your medicines or supplements, medical conditions, liver or kidney problems, pregnancy, breastfeeding or planned pregnancy.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do learn about Devato visit devato.com or call 1-877-844-8872.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Chelsea Handler]

Let's be honest. Most dogs are eating ultra processed food every day and we just accept it. Doug eats just food for dogs. Real 100% human grade food. And the number one vet recommended fresh dog food. And yes, the difference is obvious. Better digestion, more energy, way more excitement about dinner. If your dog deserves better, and they do, just try it. Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order. No code needed. Well, are you ready to take a couple of questions from callers? We have live callers calling in. What have we got, Katherine?

[Katherine]

Yes, we do.

[Chelsea Handler]

For our very special guest. I'm so glad that you shared that and I'm so glad that you're healthy and I'm so glad to hear this Jill Biden story. It's all just beautiful. It's beautiful woman. Shit.

[Cheri Oteri]

I know. I gotta tell you, I've never felt so grateful.

[Chelsea Handler]

Unless you're just making it all up because you were nervous to do an interview. You know, that could be it too.

[Katherine]

You could have canceled.

[Cheri Oteri]

I mean, now you tell me.

[Chelsea Handler]

Look, even Doug is interested now. Look, you've got his attention, Doug. That's empathy and compassion.

[Katherine]

So our first question is just a really quick question. Britt says, dear Chelsea, my best friend lives in another state and we each have one kid. I'm due with my second in about a month. When I excitedly told her what I want to name the baby, she got all quiet when I prodded. She told me that was her favorite baby boy name that she'd told me about about years ago. Honestly, I'd completely forgotten that she had, quote, picked that name. I feel bad, but my husband and I both love it. Should I use the name?

[Cheri Oteri]

Oh, I mean, come on.

[Chelsea Handler]

The friend doesn't have the baby yet.

[Katherine]

No, no, they're both pregnant right now.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, I don't know. I mean, can't they.

[Katherine]

Or no, she says, I'm due with my second. Sorry. I don't think they're both pregnant. I think she's doing.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

If her friend isn't pregnant. I would say if the friend had been pregnant, then that is kind of like. But why not just name them both the same fucking name?

[Cheri Oteri]

Who cares? I mean, really?

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah.

[Katherine]

She lives in another state.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Katherine]

It's not like.

[Cheri Oteri]

That's ridiculous.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, yeah. Go. Yeah. You can't. Oh, you don't own names. That's not fair. Right Right.

[Katherine]

Her friend needs to have like, James Jr. No, just kidding. But is that the name James?

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm like, oh, my God.

[Katherine]

Honestly, everyone is a James.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you see how he's coming closer to you?

[Katherine]

He loves you. He keeps.

[Chelsea Handler]

He senses. Yes, he senses. He's sensitive like that. It's very interesting. Anytime I'm upset, all my other dogs would leave the room when I would cry. This dog, whenever I'm upset, he comes right into the room and comes right up to me.

[Cheri Oteri]

I have desi. Whenever I'm mad, which I'm hardly ever. He. Like, if I'm angry at him, he doesn't really pay attention. But if I'm angry, I say, what do you mean? What happened? And he'll look at me and go right outside and then stare at me from the outside window. Like, wait until. And then I just look out and I go, I'm okay, honey, I'm all right. Like, it's so weird how, you know, I can tell him, no, don't do that. And he's like, fuck you. You know, but if he, if he senses that I'm angry, he knows when it's real. And he goes outside and just stares at me.

[Chelsea Handler]

They're on a different. The frequency they're on. I would love to be able to visually see where, you know, where they land and how they relate to us. It's kind of like I joke in my stand up people who are always like, don't you wish you knew what your dogs were thinking? I'm like, no, I don't want to fucking find out what my dog is thinking. That's why I have a dog, not a kid. I'm not looking for a feedback loop at all.

[Cheri Oteri]

I don't want to think and I don't want you to think.

[Chelsea Handler]

But I am interested to see what they know and what they don't know.

[Cheri Oteri]

When my dad passed away, I went and got his dog and whenever I would talk really sweet to her, she would get on her back and just, you know, open her legs and arms. And so when I would take her to the park and people are. Their dogs are doing tricks, I would go, sweet mama, where's your coin purse? Where's your coin purse? Where's your coin purse? She get on her back and open her legs.

[Chelsea Handler]

I love when they get in that

[Cheri Oteri]

position because, you know, they look like those old fashioned coin purse. Yeah, right. And people are like, how did you train her to do that?

[Katherine]

What a weird command. Well, our first caller today is Julie. Brad, do we have Julie on The line. Okay, so Julie says, Dear Chelsea, how does one choose a burial plot? I'm in my 30s and certainly hope I won't need one for many years, but I also realize everyone has to do this at some point before they die, and I thought you might have some advice. Are burial plots like condos? Do you get one that works for now and just buy and sell them as you move cities or your circumstances change? I've moved several times as an adult and will likely move again, so I don't feel particularly strongly about being buried in my current city, my hometown, or anywhere else. I'm single though, certainly open to a long term partner in this lifetime, but don't plan to have kids. Should single people get a plot for one or a two bedroom just in case? Cremation seems simpler for a girl on the go, but is not for me. My parents are divorced and my mom got their two plots in the settlement. She frequently reminds me that she willed the extra plot to me. If I don't get my own plot, I'll be stuck arguing with this woman until the end of time. So there's a little pressure to figure this out on the earlier side. I hope you'll live forever and do this podcast another hundred years, but if you're comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear if you've made this decision for yourself and how you did it. I don't have a death wish, I swear. Thanks, Julie.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, you gotta put your headphones on for this, Sheri. Cause that's Julie right there.

[Cheri Oteri]

Julie.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi Julie.

[Cheri Oteri]

I love how you're like, I'm a gal on the go, I don't have time for a few.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're so funny, Julie. I can't believe you're worried about. This is the first time anyone has called in about buying their own burial plot. And I honestly. First of all, you already have one next to your mother. I really don't believe you guys will be fighting in the afterlife. I love that you are consumed with this. I've never heard anyone talk about this ever. At your age, what do you think? Why do you think you are so consumed with this?

[Katherine]

I'm a planner.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

I am a planner. I mean, part of it. I certainly put off making like, you know, real decisions in my life by focusing on these not immediate decisions. I definitely think about it when I do talk to my mom and she reminds me that I've got this plot waiting for me in Cleveland. I've been thinking about it. I went to go visit my dad. The like total solar eclipse Was over my dad's place and I went to visit and I was like, where are we watching this eclipse? And he was like, oh, at my cemetery plot. I own it. No one else is going to be disturbed by us being there. It's like, oh, people kind of hate

[Cheri Oteri]

it that you used your plot before you die.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. There's a lot of plot talking in your family, so I feel like it's hereditary. I honestly don't have that. I haven't planned for my. I want to be cremated, so. I know you said you don't, but if this is really way. I just don't know how you can discern at this stage in your life. What if you meet someone? What if you end up having a big family? Whether you have. What if you marry somebody who has children and you want to be buried with their family? I mean, being buried next to your mom to me, sounds like a fine

[Katherine]

idea, a backup plan.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, well, but also, it's already a built in plot and you're obsessed with plots, and you already have a plot in Cleveland.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

I would not say this is a consuming problem for me. I just. I honestly never knew any, like, nobody my age is buying cemetery plot. I don't know if this is a thing people have.

[Cheri Oteri]

You're a gal on the go. You need ashes that are on the go.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. You know, I think you should reconsider cremation.

[Cheri Oteri]

I do, too.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's better for the environment and also, so then you don't have to. This is weighing. Why are you against cremation?

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

I'm not against cremation. Generally, it's not traditionally Jewish to do cremation.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right, right.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah.

[Cheri Oteri]

You can pick out your urn now.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Even if you cremate, you have to decide where your remains go. So true.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, can't they just go in the plot next to your mother?

[Katherine]

She's really trying to get you next to mom.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm Jewish too, but I don't really hold any regard for, like, you know, what we're supposed to do based on our religion. I. I honestly don't know what to tell you, except for the fact that I don't think you should be thinking about this at this stage. And you're like, you don't know where life's gonna take you. You said you're only in your 30s, right?

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah, that's why I was just wondering if people just hold off on this.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do people do this? Have you thought about your plot?

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Is this a thing I'm gonna.

[Cheri Oteri]

No. But I do love Forest Lawn.

[Chelsea Handler]

I do.

[Cheri Oteri]

Every time I drive past there, I'm like, if I don't cremate, this is where I want to be.

[Chelsea Handler]

Forest Lawn is a really nice cemetery in the Valley, in. I was gonna say in America. In the Valley, in Los Angeles. So if you are looking for a nice cemetery, you should check that one out. But I don't have a lot of cemetery referrals.

[Katherine]

Yeah, you should Google like America's most beautiful cemetery.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, that's a great idea.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah. I mean I could spend. I could be consumed with becoming more famous so I could get into one of the nicer cemeteries. No, it's really not. It's not something that I think.

[Cheri Oteri]

Could you imagine? I can't get into that cemetery. Everybody wants to get in.

[Katherine]

It's too hot.

[Cheri Oteri]

Who do you know? You gotta know somebody.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, it starts at preschool and ends in death. Oh my God.

[Cheri Oteri]

Just got into Wagon Wheel Cemetery.

[Chelsea Handler]

I do really appreciate the question. Cause you really liven things up and freshened things up in terms of.

[Cheri Oteri]

She livens things up about death.

[Chelsea Handler]

Uh huh. That's right. Not a lot of people can do that. But it's also a great conversation starter for when you're out and about and see what other people are saying.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah, maybe I'll just start asking people.

[Chelsea Handler]

I have no idea.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

I don't know if people just kind of have this. The people that I know that have plots have some sort of like family plot that they're very tied to, which.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, we didn't get a plot in our family. I remember my brother died, so then my parents had to get him obviously unexpectedly, like a plot. And then they bought their two plots so that they would be buried next to him. And then the rest of us were like, I guess we'll just do our own thing. I have no fucking idea what to tell you. I don't. But I really like the question.

[Cheri Oteri]

The rest of you are on your own.

[Chelsea Handler]

For what that's worth.

[Katherine]

The one thing I will say as like the daughter of an elder law attorney, because I have this sort of useless information rattling around later in life. You can pre buy a plot and it doesn't necessarily have to be attached to a certain location, but you can like spend the money on a plot to like guard some of your assets. It's like one of the things that elder law attorneys do to help safeguard your estate. So. But that's down the road. It's very far down the road.

[Chelsea Handler]

But that's seems like it's perfectly dovetails with what she's trying to Accomplish.

[Katherine]

Maybe talk to an elder law attorney.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, yeah, start talking to an elder law attorney.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Oh, my gosh. They're gonna. I don't know what that person would say to this question. I know, I don't know. I just, you know, things come up in life and it turns out people have been thinking about them for years.

[Katherine]

Yes, I do want more questions like this. So if you have questions like this, this, please write in to yourself.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, please write in so we can give you non answers. We're very excited about that.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

As I was, you know, leading up to this conversation, it was like, I feel like people write into this podcast and they're like, my husband isn't flossing.

[Chelsea Handler]

What do I do?

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

And then once they get on the phone with you, they're like, I actually have an update since I talked to Catherine, I've murdered my husband. Do you have any advice for like stand up comedy careers in prison? And I'm like, what update do I have? Like that I've died since I wrote in.

[Katherine]

I don't know.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

It's not. This will be an ongoing conversation.

[Chelsea Handler]

I think it. Yes, it is. You need to keep a surprise of what you do find out because I think you're gonna start a whole new trend for this podcast.

[Cheri Oteri]

I find death very, very interesting.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you?

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, because I did this thing where I. For like two years, I just went to bed and I would always just listen to near death experience stories. They're so beautiful.

[Katherine]

I love that.

[Cheri Oteri]

It's like being told a story and I would fall asleep to the most beautiful story that everybody from every background, you know, they experience. Especially with medical advancements, so many people are being revived and the stories are so beautiful. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Where do you find those?

[Cheri Oteri]

On YouTube.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah.

[Katherine]

And I just read a book of near death experiences. I'll put the link in the.

[Cheri Oteri]

Brian Weiss, Betty J. I've read, read so many books on near death experience stories and they change the lives of the people that have had the experience.

[Chelsea Handler]

Is that many masters, many lives. Brian Weiss. Okay.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. He has a couple books.

[Katherine]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

So start reading books about death. Okay.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

That's gonna help you. I wonder if that prompted me. And buy a cemetery.

[Chelsea Handler]

I think you need to start some sort of online club or a Facebook group to find out how many other people are like you thinking about this.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah. Like a chosen family cemetery, I think would be nice.

[Chelsea Handler]

You find people with the same interests. Exactly.

[Cheri Oteri]

You come from a dysfunctional family, you get to choose who you're buried next to.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, well, thank you for calling in thanks.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Thank you so much.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye. Sorry for all the dog interruptions. Somehow Ray J got loose.

[Cheri Oteri]

That to me, is not an interruption. That's a blessing.

[George Taveras]

This is George Taveras and Sam Taggart from Stradiolab. Okay, picture it. Your apartment after a Saturday workout. The gym bag, the couch, maybe even the car. Mi amor. It's a full novella of odors and not the glamorous kind.

[Sam Taggart]

That's where Febreze comes in. Boost, spray, spritz, plug or clip. It doesn't just mask odors, it fights them, honey.

[George Taveras]

Want long lasting scent you can control? Try Febreze Febreze Plug Scent Booster today. With the adjustable intensity dial, you can control the scent to match your mood. Plus, thanks to its Fade Defy technology, your home stays first day fresh for up to 50 days.

[Sam Taggart]

Need a quick car rescue? Clip a Febreze car vent clip and map your ride to freshness. And don't forget the fabric refresher. While you can't cram that cushion in the washer, you can top off every pillow fluff with a spritz of fabric

[George Taveras]

refresher because home should smell like you. Fabulous. Fresh, Unforgettable.

[Sam Taggart]

Febreze is a proud sponsor of the Elton John Impact Awards, honoring those who have helped shape a more inclusive and compassionate world with their artistry, advocacy and unwavering commitment to equality.

[George Taveras]

You won't want to miss the Elton John Impact awards podcast, available June 1 on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

[Chelsea Handler]

This ad is brought to you by Vive Healthcare, the makers of Devato Dol, Utegravir La Mevideudi Living with HIV DO Learn about Devato Divato is a complete HIV treatment by prescription only for some people 12 and older. Your doctor will determine if Devato is right for you. No other complete HIV pill contains fewer medicines than Dovato. Most HIV pills contain three or four medicines. Dovato is as effective with two medicines.

[Vive Healthcare Voice]

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[Chelsea Handler]

Do learn About Devato, visit devato.com or call 1-877-844-8872.

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Katherine]

Well, I do have one more caller and she's sort of like on the brink of starting a new life. Do we want to?

[Chelsea Handler]

Sure, let's do that. And then we'll wrap things up and we have to promote scary, which is why you're here in the first place, because you're in Scary Movie and it's coming out.

[Cheri Oteri]

Actually, I'm here because of you.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're, you're here because you love to be interviewed.

[Cheri Oteri]

No, I just love you. But yeah, scary movies is. It should be cool. It's so funny to come 25 years later.

[Chelsea Handler]

I know, I know. Isn't that crazy? It is so crazy. All of these things that are happening from 20, like these remakes and continuation. You're like when you were little, you thought 25 years was the end of the world.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

And the fact that we're all still kind of looking remotely the same and the same premises work and the same plot line. It is pretty fascinating. Yeah. And it's such a great franchise. People fucking love scary movies.

[Cheri Oteri]

I can't believe it. I can't believe how much, how excited so many people are for this.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, they really are, you know.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. It was fun.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yeah.

[Katherine]

Well, Gretchen says, dear Chelsea, I've Been a fan for a long time. I really appreciate how clearly you live your life on your own terms.

[Cheri Oteri]

Terms.

[Katherine]

I'm 41, a therapist in the Midwest and a widow. My husband died by suicide several years ago. Since then, I've done everything I was supposed to do. Grieved, rebuilt, stayed functional, and kept my life together. On paper, it works. I'm stable, responsible, fine. I just don't feel like I belong in it. Internally, I feel more and more out of place, stir crazy where I am craving a different environment, different work, and a different kind of community. I'm planning to move to New York City soon and build something more aligned. I'm open to partnership, even marriage again, but I'm not attached to a timeline and I don't have kids. I'm starting to accept that my life doesn't look anything like I once thought it would or like the lives of most people around me. From the outside, it looks like I'd be walking away from a perfectly good life. I can't always tell if what I'm feeling is real clarity or restlessness, grief and burnout. So I guess what I'm asking is how do you trust yourself when your life looks fine but feels off? How do you know you're following your intuition and not just blowing up something stable because it no longer feels fits? And how do you fully step into a life that's more honest for you when it doesn't look like what you expected or what anyone around you is choosing? I'm right at the edge of changing my life, and I don't want to ignore that or talk myself out of it. Warmly, Gretchen.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi, Gretchen.

[Cheri Oteri]

Hi, Gretchen.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi. What a beautiful letter. This is Sherry Arteri, our special guest today.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Hi.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

How are you?

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi, sweetheart. Yeah. First of all, I'm so sorry that you lost your husband. I can't imagine what you must have gone through. And your letter almost has kind of the answers that you're looking for, truly like you are stepping into the unknown that is not comfortable. There are moments of discomfort along the way in all of our lives. And the only thing that you can tell yourself all the time is that none of these phases are permanent. All of your feelings of discomfort are temporary. And moving into a new space, starting a new life, which is the exact advice I would be giving you. I would say, get up and move to a new city. And you're already doing that. Moving into this new version of you. And what you said is you're about to live a life is not how you expected it to be. Welcome to the world. Right? None of us have gotten exactly what we wanted or when we wanted to get it, or have held on to the people that we love the most. It just doesn't work that way. But what is beautiful is when you accept the situation that you're in and you figure out how to make that beautiful and how to build back again, because there is so much beauty in that. And I have no. No qualms or uneasiness about how bright your future is. Just your letter alone. You've already got it. You're there.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You're doing it.

[Cheri Oteri]

Life breaks you down to open you up.

[Chelsea Handler]

Aha.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

What do they do? Snap. This is it, right? This is what the kids do. And adults. So I guess I am.

[Cheri Oteri]

I mean, I'm telling you everything. You have the answers, but you're judging yourself. And, you know, it's like you adhere to these social norms that just don't fit you, you know? So it's kind of like you already know what to do, but you think you're supposed to be sure. Everything is supposed to be. There's no guarantees, but, you know, the old thing of follow your heart and where you think you might want to go. I'm telling you, if bad things didn't happen to me, I would have probably gone in a direction that wouldn't have served me well for the long run.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Talk about unexpected life. I mean, everything we've just talked about, you weren't expecting in your life. But also the unknown is comfortable. And trust the unknown. When things are uneasy and you're not sure, trust it. Just trust that you're where you're supposed to be. And I know that doesn't feel. Sometimes that feels like something like trite to say, but it is. The biggest lesson that I have learned is the moments of discomfort. There is always a light at the end of your tunnel. Always. And there says there's gonna be another tunnel too, you know, and then there's gonna be a light at the end of that. So just make sure when you're in these moments, you're really in them. When you're in the grief, be in it. When you're in the light, be in the light. Light. And trust yourself, because you're on the right track.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah. The universe is moving you.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're emitting light. I can see it coming off of your, like, body, your soul.

[Cheri Oteri]

I'm telling.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, I can smell it.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

I love it.

[Chelsea Handler]

So. So you're doing everything, and we're cheering you on, sister. Thank you.

[Katherine]

Thank you.

[Chelsea Handler]

I Think I just needed the permission.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

So you got it.

[Chelsea Handler]

You got it.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

Go live out loud. Oh, my gosh.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Sending you so much love.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Keep us posted.

[Katherine]

Send us a postcard when you get to New York. Okay, I will.

[Chelsea Handler]

Absolutely.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Yes, I will do.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yay.

[Katherine]

Awesome. Thanks, Gretchen.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye. Bye, Gretchen. Bye, Gretchen. Oh, that was awesome. I know. What a wonderful ending to today's episode. I love that.

[Katherine]

And she's got, like, a timeline, too. Like, she's, like, on the move. It's probably happening in the next few months. Like, she's doing Pick up the pieces.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's the glass. Great letter. For anyone who's sitting or listening to this, thinking, like, how do I pick up the pieces of an unexpected something happening in your life that's unexpected? Which is what life is. Sheri, I love you. You are just a bundle of Joy. Scary Movie 6 is in theaters now. You can go experience that bundle of joy.

[Cheri Oteri]

And I'm doing celebrity autobiography on Broadway.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, I'm gonna come see you.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, for sure.

[Chelsea Handler]

When does that start?

[Cheri Oteri]

O already started, but they're changing cast members, and I am doing it from. I'll be there until the 6th. So, like, I think the 29th of every month. The end of June. Sassy pants. The end of June.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, I'm gonna be there June 29th through the 6th of July. Yeah, I will come to see you.

[Cheri Oteri]

All right.

[Chelsea Handler]

I have that window because I'm going on a trip and I'm gonna come through the east coast. I'm coming to see you, and I'm going to my.

[Cheri Oteri]

Yeah, as soon as Robin's out.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, yeah. You Robin? Yeah. Get out of my house.

[Unknown Female Guest/Caller]

Robin. Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

I love it. Thank you for being here.

[Cheri Oteri]

My pledge.

[Katherine]

If you want advice from Chelsea, write in to dearchelseapodcastmail.com Dear Chelsea is a production of iHeartMedia. Follow Chelsea on all socials. Chelsea Handler and find Katherine on TikTok lashkadabra. Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert, executive producer Kathryn Lawrence. Find full video episodes and minisodes now on Netflix and get tickets to see Chelsea live@chelsea handler.com.

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[Chelsea Handler]

pool, a lounger, three friends I actually like and zero responsibility. What it does not involve a canned cocktail that tastes like a battery. I have been trying for years to make my own vodka lemonade and every brand got it wrong. Fake lemon. Too sweet. Weird aftertaste. But then I met the founders of owls brew. 9:00am Hotel room, dozens of samples. They absolutely nailed it. Real vodka, real lemon juice, clean ingredients, the perfect hint of sweetness. So now my pool has a drink, my friends have a drink and my supper is officially handled. Yours can be too. Go to owlsbrew.com, use code dearchelsea for 20% off and have it at the door before Saturday. The lemonade stand is open. Adults only.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The Trump administration and its backers in Congress are messing around with our health care.

[Chelsea Handler]

In case you haven't heard, they already passed a law defunding Planned Parenthood that blocks Medicaid patients from getting life saving care last year like cancer screenings, wellness exams, birth control, STI treatment and more. And now these lawmakers want to shut down health centers by defunding Planned Parenthood permanently. Our communities deserve better. So to learn how you can get involved, Text update to 22422.

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[Chelsea Handler]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.