Chelsea Handler is always courting controversy, and in her role as presenter at last night’s VMAs on MTV, the comedian stayed true to form. The ‘Chelsea Lately’ host appeared unsteady on her feet and somewhat incoherent as she joked with the audience before announcing the winner of the Best Male Video Award, leading to speculation by some that she was intoxicated. She also inserted some racially charged humor – one of her trademarks – into her appearance, thanking Taylor Swift for being white. Not everyone was amused.

During her segment, which took place right after a performance by Swift, Handler said: “They asked me if I wanted to present at the VMAs, and I said there’s gonna be a lot of big fat asses at that awards show. So I will present, but you have to put me up after someone who is white. So thank you Taylor Swift for being so white!” This provoked some accusations of racism, a line of criticism familiar to Handler.

Handler most recently came under fire during the latest Academy Awards ceremony, during which the Huffington Post gave the comedian control of their Twitter handle. Throughout the evening, she repeatedly took aim at Lupita N’yongo – winner of the Best Supporting Actress statue – and Twelve Years A Slave, the movie she was in. When N’yongo won, the star tweeted “#Angelina Jolie just filed adoption papers for #lupitanyongo #Oscars - @chelseahandler.” Then, when Twelve Years A Slave was announce the winner for best picture, Handler used the opportunity to plug her latest book, Uganda Be Kidding Me, tweeting “Congratulations #12years a slave Go to Africa or buy #ugandabekiddingme.” When the following backlash ensued, Handler insisted her jokes were harmless, saying “I’m not racist. I date a lot of black people, so that would be difficult to explain to them.”

It would be no surprise to anyone who follows Handler if it turned out she did, in fact, have a few too many before presenting. The comedian’s relationship with alcohol is well documented: she regularly jokes on her show about her own heavy drinking, and she has often been accused by viewers of being drunk while filming. In 2012, fellow E! Network host Joan Rivers called Handler “a drunk,” who “made it on her back f**king the president…of the network” (E! President Ted Harbert, who Handler used to date).

Despite the polarizing effect Handler has on viewers and Hollywood insiders alike, her career does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. She announced earlier this year that she plans to leave E! as soon as her contract is up, and almost immediately after, Netflix announced they will be featuring the comedian in a new talk show of their own.