Melania's Namedrop At 2025 Critics Choice Awards Is Sure To Hit The Trumps Where It Hurts

Melania Trump may be keeping public appearances to a minimum (aside from her weirdly dressed appearance at her husband's inauguration), but that doesn't mean people are leaving her out of conversations. Chelsea Handler made a cheeky reference to the first lady while hosting the 2025 Critics Choice Awards. In her opening monologue, Handler made Melania the punchline of a joke when talking to the crowd about how many biopics were released this year. "It was a huge year for biopics," Handler told the crowd. "'A Complete Unknown' about Bob Dylan, 'Maria' about Maria Callas, and 'Anora' about Melania Trump." The crowd laughed uproariously but sounded a bit surprised that the edgy host made a joke at the first lady's expense.

According to IMDB, 'Anora' is about "A young escort from Brooklyn [who] meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled." Like the main character in the film, Melania is much younger than her businessman husband, and President Trump has often made headlines for his favorable comments about Vladimir Putin and his connections to Russia.

Chelsea Handler is known for her unapologetic and brash sense of humor, and when she comments on figures in pop culture, no one is safe from her critiques. Handler often called out celebrities for their behavior on her late-night show "Chelsea Lately," which ran from 2007 to 2014. Since her show came to an end, she has continued to offer her commentary on public figures through her stand-up comedy and during talk show appearances. She even blamed the Kardashians for Donald Trump's presidency, saying to Variety that the popularity of reality stars and influencers turned the presidential election into "a reality show."

Handler also has a history of calling out Melania Trump in particular. In 2020, Handler talked about Melania and the president's daughter Ivanka Trump during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live." She said, "I just want to shake them, violently, is what I want to do. I want to shake some sense into them." When she guest hosted "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2022, Handler listed "all of the terrible things Melania has said yes to over the years" including her controversial 'I Really Don't Care, Do You?' jacket, her alleged plagiarism of a speech by Michelle Obama, and her questioning of President Barack Obama's place of birth, among others.