Chelsea Handler Compares Her Boyfriend Jo Koy To Her Late Brother Chet

Chelsea Handler compared her boyfriend, stand-up comic Jo Koy, to her late brother Chet as they both had "brother energy."

The 46-year-old comedian invited Koy to share their love story on her podcast, "Dear Chelsea" Thursday. Handler recalled being introduced to Koy 20 years ago through a mutual friend but there was no "sexual" chemistry between them at that time.

"You have a lot of similar qualities that my brother had," Handler noted. "So, in many ways, like I just feel so completely safe. And I feel like, 'Oh, this is family,' Like I've always felt that way about you, that you're family," she explained.

Handler's brother Chet died at the age of 22 after he fell off a cliff in 1984. Koy, 50, was a regular on Handler's show titled "Chelsea Lately," which used to air on the E! network from 2007 to 2014.

On the podcast, Handler admitted that she had a little "crush" on the stand-up comic but was "suppressing" her feelings.

Handler said she loved talking to Koy and having him in her life because he is a "positive and upbeat" person. "But I wasn't like 'Oh my God!' This desire to have something happen, not at all," she added.

Handler said it's a good thing that she did not have romantic feelings earlier. Otherwise, she would have probably "ruined it."

She recalled that she and Koy began texting once again and hanging out shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Koy revealed that the minute they both were in Los Angeles and quarantine restrictions were lifted, he asked Handler out for dinner.

Handler is currently on a nationwide tour, "Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour," which will go on until Dec. 18. Her new documentary, "We Still Rise," is under post-production.

On the other hand, Koy will be next seen in the movie "Easter Sunday," which is based on his life experiences. He also lent his voice to Netflix's animated feature "The Monkey King," which is slated to be released in 2023.