I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This

"It’s f*cking great!!! Raw, intimate, hilarious, actually inspiring.” –Jon StewartA dynamic memoir-in-essays by comedian, screenwriter, and podcaster Chelsea Devantez, detailing her tumultuous upbringing and uproarious career path into Hollywood.There are things Chelsea Devantez probably shouldn’t be telling you. Many of them are in this book: some are embarrassing (like when she tried to break her three year spell of celibacy using a guide of seduction tips). Some are confessional (getting sentenced to the “hell hill” at Mormon church camp). Some are TMI (a series of outrageous doctor visits that ended with one doctor misdiagnosing her as “pregnant.” Woopsies!).Then there are things Chelsea really shouldn’t be telling you: like the time her biggest family secret was publicly outed, or about the drive-by shootings and the precipitating domestic violence she survived. Yet through it all, it’s the women in Chelsea’s life who kept her going – from the lowest points of her childhood when she and her mom had only $100 left to their name, all the way to her career highs as the Emmy-nominated Head Writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart and sensational podcaster deemed “the celebrity memoir whisperer” by her fans. In I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, Chelsea centers each story around a different woman who shaped her life, taking us on a tour of friends and strangers, fictional characters and celebrities, heroes and villains who will destroy any Netflix algorithm for a “strong female lead.” Reading it will feel kinda like that moment at a party when your friend beckons you close, sloshes her martini around, and covertly whispers, “I really shouldn’t say this, but…”

"It’s fucking great. She didn’t tell me it was gonna be fucking great!!! Figured… some cute essays… anecdotes… holy shit, though. Raw, intimate, hilarious, actually inspiring… what the fuck! Her upbringing reads like Flannery O’Connor or some shit!" –JON STEWART   “Finished it in a single night. Funny, authentic, and unique. Love!” –JENNY LAWSON, bestselling author of Broken (In the Best Possible Way)   “I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is a hilariously honest look at the real life of a person who is frigging out of control. This book is so jam-packed full of truths and unbelievable events that I swear to god it should be eight movies. Her story is incredibly moving and encouraging. It will make you feel more connected to women everywhere as you laugh your butt off.” –AMBER RUFFIN, actress, comedian, host of The Amber Ruffin Show, and bestselling author of You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey “This book is raw, insightful, and really fucking funny. It’s full of accidental life lessons, and stories so relatable that at times you’ll feel like you are reading your own diary—if your diary got punched up by a professional comic. This book will save you so much money on therapy, as you get to benefit from Chelsea’s second hand (but if you relate to it too much, you should probably also go to therapy).” –ASHLEY NICOLE BLACK, Emmy-award winning writer for Apple TV+ 's Ted Lasso