Spencer Pratt, running for mayor of Los Angeles, traded barbs with Chelsea Handler after she mocked his candidacy on social media, and Pratt fired back on X while his living situation and campaign logistics drew scrutiny in the wake of the Palisades fire; the back-and-forth brought in commentary from comedian Shane Gillis, reminders of Handler’s past acknowledgments of visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s home, and questions about Pratt’s use of Hotel Bel-Air while his Palisades property recovered.

Chelsea Handler posted a video taking aim at Pratt, saying, “Oh hi, if you’re seeing this video, this is a reminder that a straight white male former reality star that has no previous experience in government should not be a legitimate political candidate.” She even flashed a photo of Donald Trump before asking, “Have we learned anything yet?” and later added, “The bar is on the f—ing floor, people, and I need you to jump over it,” she added. “OK, thank you, have a nice day!”

Pratt answered on X with a brisk introduction and a video clip, writing, “Most of you have probably never heard of Chelsea Handler, so here’s an introduction!” He attached a clip from comedian Shane Gillis at the Netflix roast of Kevin Hart, which included the line, “Chelsea Handler went to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in 2010. That’s just a fun one. You can look it up, there’s articles. It wasn’t like a big party, there was, like, seven people there. It was like, Prince Andrew and Woody Allen were there.”

Handler has publicly said she visited Epstein’s home at times, and she told audiences she had “accidentally” ended up at a dinner with Katie Couric in tow. She even joked about an awkward exchange at the table, asking Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, “So how did you two meet?” — a quip that has resurfaced as critics circle the campaign.

Meanwhile Pratt’s mayoral bid has been shadowed by questions about where he lives and how he’s campaigning. Reports surfaced that Pratt was not actually living in an Airstream on his former property’s lot, and he acknowledged he wasn’t staying in the trailer despite its appearance in a campaign ad, saying bluntly, “Hey guys, why don’t they wanna talk about why I need a hotel in the first place?” He followed that with, “Karen Bass let my home burn down. Also 6,000 of my neighbors. NBD.”

Pratt has pushed back hard against critics who he says are focused on character attacks instead of policy. “Funny how they never attack my policy ideas,” he wrote. “They can only try to assassinate your character. They don’t wanna talk about my debate masterclass a week ago, they wanna talk about a reality show from a lifetime ago.”

He framed the criticism as ideological and pointed to what he sees as a broader failure in city leadership: “That’s because they want the continued decline of the city,” Pratt declared. “They are locked in an ideological death spiral and can’t shake it. Come at my policies or go sit back down on the back bench. I’m in the arena, son.”

Legal and logistical fallout from the Palisades fire has added fuel to the story, with Pratt and Heidi Montag filing suit against the city and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over the blaze that affected the area. Pratt has been reported to be staying at the Hotel Bel-Air while his wife and children stayed in Carpinteria, and he told reporters the trailer had become unsafe and that the hotel’s “armed security” made it “the only option.”

On TMZ Live, Pratt doubled down on his claims and clarified his residency status to push back on narrative-driven coverage. “I don’t live at the hotel Bel Air. I don’t live in the Airstream. I don’t live in Santa Barbara. I don’t have a house. They burned it down,” he said, insisting the Palisades property remains his home even if he’s not sleeping there every night.

Pratt has not shied from colorful language in public remarks about critics, arguing that the debate and campaign traction are what matter, not old reality-TV clips. “The reality is the Ba–holes and Ramaniacs are a little bit whacko, and since I destroyed them in the debate, and am surging in the polls, they are getting increasingly desperate and hostile,” he explained, positioning himself as an underdog taking on entrenched forces in Los Angeles politics.

Coverage continues as both sides trade digs: Handler’s social post and Pratt’s responses have become part of a larger conversation about qualifications, media elites, and the direction of the city. The debate over tone versus substance is now a prominent storyline in a race where personal history, campaign messaging, and real-world crises all collide.

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.

https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2054587037601476680?s=46&t=qKzmlHIavrwTjsq3IXf4Ow