Chelsea Handler Reveals Truth Behind 'Difficult' Breakup With Jo Koy

Chelsea Handler is opening up about her breakup with Jo Koy five months after ending their relationship due to conflicting "behaviors."

During an interview on Brooke Shields' "Now What?" podcast, the 47-year-old television host revealed the reason behind her "difficult" split from the 51-year-old comedian.

"There were just some behaviors that we couldn't agree on, and it felt to me like I would have to abandon myself, which maybe I would have been OK to do if I were 20 or 25, but I wasn't willing to do that," Handler said in the episode released Tuesday.

"No matter how much I loved this person -- and I loved him so much -- I was not going to abandon myself. I was like, 'I'm not going to change this, I'm not going to change the way that I behave in order to make you feel more comfortable. I'm not doing that.' And I had to walk away from something that I really believed was [going to] be a forever relationship, and so that was difficult," she added.

Handler also revealed that she and Koy tried therapy and "any avenue" they could think of to mend their now-broken relationship before realizing that it was already "futile."

Months after their breakup, the "This Means War" actress said she and Koy were not on speaking terms at the moment, but she remained hopeful of forming a friendship again in the future.

"I don't think we can have a friendship until there's some accountability and some responsibility taken," she explained. "We had a really great friendship, and I would love to have that again, you know, but without a couple [of] steps in the right direction, I don't see that happening."

Although Handler did not reveal what exactly led to the end of their relationship, she did admit that "walking away from him was one of the most difficult things that I ever had to do." She said that toward the end of their relationship, she realized that Koy "was not my person."

Handler and the "Easter Sunday" star, whose real name is Joseph Glenn Herbert, began dating in August 2021. They went their separate ways a month before their one-year anniversary.

The former "Chelsea Lately" host announced the breakup via Instagram in July.

"It is with a heavy heart to announce that we have decided together that it is best for us to take a break from our relationship right now," Handler wrote in the caption of a pre-recorded video of her and Koy that was intended for their anniversary.

She continued, "This man blew my heart open with love and because of him, my life experience has changed forever. To be loved and adored by @jokoy has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. He renewed my faith in men, in love, in being 100% who I am, and I've never been more optimistic for the future."