Dear Chelsea - Minisode: Didn’t Make the Cut with Chelsea + Catherine

Episode Date: February 13, 2026

Chelsea and Catherine get an update from a caller who’s making big moves.  And a bride-to-be has to cut friends from the guest list. * Need some advice from Chelsea? Email us at [e-mail] * Executive Producer Catherine Law Edited & Engineered by Brad Dickert * * * The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the Podcast author, or individuals participating in the Podcast, and do not represent the opinions of iHeartMedia or its employees.  This Podcast should not be used as medical advice, mental health advice, mental health counseling or therapy, or as imparting any health care recommendations at all.  Individuals are advised to seek independent medical, counseling advice and/or therapy from a competent health care professional with respect to any medical condition, mental health issues, health inquiry or matter, including matters discussed on this Podcast. Guests and listeners should not rely on matters discussed in the Podcast and shall not act or shall refrain from acting based on information contained in the Podcast without first seeking independent medical advice.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe.

That's your home. That's your husband. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Over the last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama? This Black History Month, the podcast, Selective Ignorance with Mandy B, unpacked black history and culture with comedy, clarity, and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown Act in New York was signed in July of 2019, and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on. on hairstyles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B

from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. And at Morehouse College, the students make their move. These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's Senior. It's the true story of protests and rebellion in Black America. American history that you'll never forget.

I'm Hans Charles. I'm Minalick Lamouba. Listen to the A-building on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people, some have answers. most are still figuring it out.

And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, guys, the high and mighty tour is about to begin. Tour starts on February 13th, everybody, D.C., I will see you there to jump things off. February 14th, Atlantic City, which I just added,

Madison, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, Denver, Colorado, Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island, Springfield, Massachusetts, April 3rd, which is in Ronert Park, California. That has just been added. Chicago, of course. Indianapolis, Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Albuquerque, Mesa, Arizona, Kansas City, Missouri, St. Louisville, Missouri, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nashville, Tennessee, Charlotte, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina. May 6th, I'm doing Netflix as a Joke Festival. I will be in Los Angeles. That is a new announcement, Saratoga, California, Monterey, California, Modesto, California, and Portchester, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. I will be touring from February through June.

Go to Chelseahandler.com for tickets. If you want to come see me perform, I will be on the high and mighty tour. Hi, Catherine. Welcome to a minisode. Welcome to a dear Chelsea minisode. It's actually very exciting. We're doing these on video now because we're on Netflix. Hi, Netflix.

Hello. Hi, Netflix. I'll see you at the Netflix is a joke festival on the 6th of May. And people can just get tickets to that, right? On Chelseahandler.com? Yeah, the best place to get tickets for my show is Chelseahandler.com. So you don't get gouged by Ticketmaster. Okay, perfect.

Well, I've got some follow-ups from a couple previous callers. So one is from our Haley, Louis. Richardson episode. She was dating online and kind of lived in a small town and was thinking about moving to a bigger city for more opportunity. The advice had kind of like dip your toe in the water, set your hinge settings to a wider array of people and like the cities, because you can always travel there if you're close by. So Lauren says, I just wanted to send an update that I am officially moving to Madison, Wisconsin, May 1st. I just wanted to say thanks again for the awesome opportunity to be on the show and to do.

Chelsea for her great advice. I see that Chelsea has a show in St. Louis on April 24th. I plan to attend with friends and can't wait. Thank you, Lauren. Oh, great. That's exciting. Big moves. So she moved. Yes. Yes. Love it. Love it. I love it. I love it. Yes. You're always encouraging people to take big moves, and it's nice to hear when people do. I'm always encouraging people to move. Yeah. That really changes the energy up. It does. It does. You know, somebody was saying, this was Caleb Heron, who I don't know if you're familiar with him. He's an amazing, hilarious comic. But he was saying he's like, he was living in L.A. He's like, I felt like I needed to just sort of shake my life up in every way, just a little bit.

So he still travels here a lot, but you move to, like, Missouri. And it's just like having a great time. I feel like Nikki lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Nikki Glazer. I feel like she does, too. I'm pretty sure she does. Yeah, because she wants to, yeah, I don't know if she still does. But I think, and she wasn't living with her parents.

She just moved there because she's from there. I think during COVID, a lot of people just move back to wherever they like more, you know, once you realize you don't have to be any. anywhere for anything. Yeah. Or like Haley Lou moved to Arizona. Yeah, Haley Lou moved too. Yeah. Yeah. Well, our next follow up is from Ethan. He called in on a minisode. He was the guy who was having like a long distance relationship with someone in Chicago. He's in California. And they were like toying with whether the guy would move. He was very in love, very tearful. So Ethan says, hey there, hope you're doing well. I wanted to give you an update. The boy from Chicago and I have worked everything out.

We've decided to be long-distance friends for now and let things develop naturally. It feels healthy and pressure-free and I'm genuinely happy he's still in my life, just in a way that makes sense for both of us, Ethan. So not a big move there. We haven't ruined any lives yet. Not yet. Not today. Not today.

No, Tola via. Okay. Well, we'll take a quick break and we'll get back into our color when we get back. Okay. Hard Radio is throwing it back. 20s the decade. To the days of huge hits. Forgetable anthems.

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Preset the station so it's always one tab away. Welcome to the A building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm in Alec Lamouber. It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King's. had both been assassinated, and Black America was out of breaking point. Writing and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale.

In Atlanta, Georgia at Martin's Almermata, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in Black history, Martin Luther King Sr., and a young student, Samuel L. Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution, I mean, people were dying. In 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A-building on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband Mike was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home. That's your husband.

To keep this secret for so many years, he's like a seasoned pre. This is a story about the end of a marriage, but it's also the story of one woman who was done living in the dark. You're a dangerous person who prays on vulnerable and trusting people. Your creditor might go up and good. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul, a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks, and we go deeper than the polished story.

We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff, identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore, loss that changes you purpose when success isn't enough, peace when your mind won't slow down, fake when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And we're back.

We are back. So our caller today is Marie. And she's having some wedding, potential wedding drama. So she says, Dear Chelsea, I'm a 28-year-old. old woman and I'm getting married next year. My fiancé and I are having a destination wedding, which means we're working with a strict guest cap of a hundred people due to venue restrictions. We both live very full lives and have a lot of friends, so getting a final guest list took forever. I have a large friend group of about 20 girls from college. We stayed close for the last 10 years,

talk regularly in various group chats, and take annual girls' trips together. There are a small handful of women from this group who I adore, but don't keep up with one-on-one who didn't make the guest list. I feel confident in this decision to not invite them, and I think they'll completely understand and agree about our level of closeness. However, I'm dreading the way they'll find out. Save the dates are going out soon, and I know the group chat will inevitably be full of photos of people receiving these saved dates and general excitement around the event. I hate the idea of these few women finding out they're the only ones not invited because they didn't get one. So my question is, is it better to say nothing and let the sun fold naturally, or is there a kind, mature way to acknowledge it

ahead of time without making things awkward. Does addressing it beforehand create unnecessary discomfort, or is actually the more respectful move? I'm in a situation where it feels like I'm too close with them to not address it, but not close enough to actually invite them. You're the queen of sisterhood and what it means to be honest and a good friend, so I love your opinion, Marie. Hi, Marie. Hi. Hi, you're so cute. Oh my God, thank you. You're cute. How many of the girls did you, out of the 20 girls, were you not able to invite? Three. Okay.

Which is horrible because I feel like if it was a bigger group, it was half of them. This is self-explanatory. I would just let it play out naturally. But the like small group makes it feel targeted and I just don't like it. Yeah. And there's no way to include them, even without guests, if you could. Not really. I've just compromised so much with my fiancé.

Like my friends already take up the whole event. I have to let him invite people from his life too. So I just feel like, again, I'm confident in the decision not to invite them. And I don't think that they would be shocked. I just, I don't like the idea of being like, I didn't receive mine. And then I definitely think three is a tricky number to leave out out of 20. So I think that's a little sensitive. So I think you should be, you should treat it with some sensitivity and reach out to the three girls beforehand.

And maybe there's something nice you can do for them that doesn't involve inviting them to your wedding or sending them a nice card. It's a great idea. I mean, you want them to find out sooner than later. But I think you should definitely say something before. Just say, listen, it was huge compromise to get as many people as I wanted to invite to this. Like, we have a limit and we have limited funds. We have a limited capacity. I know you guys will totally understand.

But I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't able to invite everyone from our group. And that makes it clear that they're not. not invited to the thing, but I definitely think you should reach out before they find out another way. And you can also say, I know you're going to understand. I'm sure, have any of the three been married? Have they been through this experience? Yeah, one of them has. And I think, like, what adds a different dynamic to this is I'm the first one that's ever not invited the whole group. Like, we very much are a group that just, we just are like, come one, come all. We all love to hang out together.

So I think that's like playing in my mind a little bit. I'm like, I have to be the first one that's like creating some sort of smaller group, which kind of sucks. But yeah, I just have never really heard. I love your advice, but I'd never really heard of somebody like telling someone they're not invited to a party before they. Yeah. Yeah, I know.

But I think it's a nice thing to do considering that everything you keep saying just reinforces the fact that I think you should do it. Like if they've all been included in everything, like I think you should double down. Like, listen, your friendship is very meaningful to me. I don't want you to take this as a sign that it's not. Like, I still want the 20 of us to do things in groups and all of those, you know, in your own words, obviously. But I don't want you to take not being invited to my wedding as a personal affront.

Like, I actually try to figure out every way I could do this. And it's just not possible for me to go over the amount of people that I have right now. You know, and lay it out for them. But I think it will be appreciated more so than them finding out because then there's awkwardness and there's tension. So, like, just get rid of it. rid of attention before there is any. Yeah. And I love the idea of sending them something, whether it's like a little box of chocolates or some flowers and then really, really hit like the nail on the head of like,

I had, there are a hundred people. My husband has a big family, et cetera, et cetera, like blame it on the venue having that cap. I think is helpful to that way. That way it's not just like, oh, well, you know, we wanted to have a small way. You know, it's like really, there's a strict number. I like it. I mean, I, yeah, I had a feeling I should address it. So it kind of answers my. Yeah. Of course, that's why I came here. guess. But yeah, something felt wrong about just not saying anything. Letting it just like happen, especially because we are so active in different group chats. I think that's just like the day and age now. Everything is online and in different. Everyone's sharing everything 24-7. So you might also think about the girls that are invited,

maybe just having a separate group chat being like, hey, not everyone from our big group is invited, but I wanted to have a separate chat here since it's a destination wedding and making plans. and just kind of letting them know not everybody from the group is getting a save-the-date, but you guys will get yours soon and I'm so excited to have you, et cetera. I love it. Well, thank you.

Yeah. Okay. The number's small, so it's weird. I hate that the number is three. I know. I don't like that either. So that's what's bumping me. I know.

I know, I know. Yeah. I would like to expand it, but I can't. There's groups that live together. There's like a whole dynamic that I just, I'm trying to navigate. So I'm thankful, though,

that I have such a great group of friends. Yeah, and make sure you put that at the end of the letter. Just say, I'm really grateful. You know, this is just one of the things that I'm not able to negotiate or mess with right now. So, I mean, I hope to make it up to you in the future in some way. Yeah. Unless people say no, then they can be on the second tier, but that feels worse. Right. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I don't like this. Well, you're getting married. Try and focus on the positive, I guess. True. Very true. Yeah. All right, Marie.

Thank you. Okay. Thanks for calling in. much fun. Bye. Bye. Bye. All right. Well, that's our minisode for today, Chelsea. Okay, love it. Wonderful. Wonderful. Okay, guys, the high and mighty tour is about to begin. I'm in D.C., February 13th, February 14th, Atlantic City, which I just added. 15th is Norfolk, Virginia. February 19th, Madison, Wisconsin. February 20th is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. February 21st, Detroit, Michigan. February 22nd, Rama, Ontario. That's Canada, for those of you who don't speak Canadian. March 13th, Cleveland, Ohio, March 14th, Columbus, Ohio, March 15th, Cincinnati, Ohio, and then March 20th is Denver, Colorado. March 27th, Portland, Maine.

March 28th, Providence, Rhode Island. March 29th, Springfield, Massachusetts. April 10th is Chicago. I'll be at the Chicago Theater. April 11th, Indianapolis, Indiana. April 12th, Louisville, Kentucky. April 16th, is Albuquerque. New Mexico. April 17th is Mesa, Arizona. April 23rd is Kansas City, Missouri. April 24th is St. Louis,

Missouri. April 25th is Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 30th, Nashville, Tennessee. May 1st is Charlotte, North Carolina. May 2nd is Durham, North Carolina. May 6th, I'm doing Netflix as a joke festival. I will be in Los Angeles. That is a new announcement. And May 15th, Saratoga, California. May 16th, Monterey, California. May 17th, Modesto, California. And then June 4th, Portchester, New York. June 5th is Boston, Mass. And June 12th is Portland, Oregon. And then Seattle is June 13th.

So suck on that, everybody. Go to Chelseahandler.com for tickets. If you want advice from Chelsea, write into Dear Chelsea podcast at gmail.com. Dear Chelsea is a production of IHeartMedia. Follow Chelsea on all socials at Chelsea Handler and find Catherine on TikTok. at Flashcadabra.

Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert, executive producer Catherine Law. Find full video episodes and minisodes now on Netflix and get tickets to see Chelsea Live at Chelseahandler.com. In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.

and immediately the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home. That's your husband. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Over the last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair

was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama? This Black History Month, the podcast, Selective Ignorance with Mandy B, unpacked black history and culture with comedy, clarity, and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown Act in New York was signed in July of 2019, and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B

from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. At a Morehouse College, the students make their move. These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's senior. It's the true story of protests and rebellion in black American history that you'll never forget.

I'm Hans Charles. I'm Mnallick Lamouba. Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose. as peace, faith and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people, some have answers.

Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.