Chevy Chase Defends Himself on ‘Community’ Exit: Says Show “Wasn’t That Good” and Insists “I’m Not Racist”
Chevy Chase recently opened up about his exit from the NBC sitcom Community in a new interview with The New York Times, shedding light on the controversy surrounding his time on the show.
The actor, who starred on the series for four seasons, left amid public disputes with creator Dan Harmon and an incident in which he reportedly used a racial slur on set.
Chase described his experience on Community as “not a bad experience. I just didn’t think it was that good, the show,” and said he felt his departure ended well. He added that misunderstandings about his words had contributed to the tension: “It was too great a misunderstanding of what I was saying and not saying… I’m not racist.”
He claimed some of the younger staff didn’t understand his background or his work, which led to a “visceral reaction” from them.
The new CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, directed by Marina Zenovich, revisits Chase’s time on the sitcom.
According to the film, Chase became frustrated with storylines involving his character’s bigotry, including a plot with a blackface puppet. During production, he allegedly asked whether his character would next use a racial slur and reportedly uttered it in reference to the script.
Director Jay Chandrasekhar, interviewed in the documentary, described a heated moment between Chase and co-star Yvette Nicole Brown. He said Brown left the set upset after Chase’s comments, and the production team requested an apology.
Chandrasekhar claimed Chase eventually returned but refused to apologize, defending his actions by referencing past interactions with Richard Pryor: “You know, me and Richard Pryor, I used to call Richard Pryor the N-word, and he used to call me The Honky, and we loved each other,” Chase allegedly said on set.
Chase did not return to Community after this incident. Reports at the time noted he had voiced the slur while questioning his character’s dialogue, not directly at his Black co-stars. Chandrasekhar also recalled Chase having a “full meltdown” on set after the story was reported, saying things like, “Who f**** me over? My career is ruined! I’m ruined!”
Many of Chase’s former co-stars have remained silent about the incident. Zenovich told Variety that she reached out to them for the documentary, but all declined to participate. Yvette Nicole Brown addressed the renewed attention on Instagram, emphasizing that anyone speaking on her behalf does so without her consent: “They actually don’t really know me at all.”
Donald Glover, another Community cast member, previously stated in 2018 that Chase often made racist jokes on set. Chase himself has maintained a defiant stance, telling CBS Sunday Morning in 2022: “I don’t give a c*** I am who I am, and I like who I am.”
The controversy has resurfaced alongside the documentary’s release, sparking renewed discussion about Chase’s behavior and his legacy in Hollywood.
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