In a new CNN documentary and New York Times interview, Chevy Chase denied racism allegations tied to his contentious exit from NBC's Community after Season 4. He addressed a resurfaced on-set incident involving a racial slur—previously detailed in reports like People magazine—and attributed his departure to misunderstandings.
Chevy Chase reflected on his time as a regular on Community in a joint New York Times interview with director Marina Zenovich for the CNN documentary 'I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not.' He described the show as 'not particularly good' and said his exit stemmed from 'too great a misunderstanding of what I was saying and not saying,' insisting, 'I’m not racist.'
The film revisits Season 4 tensions, including frustration with his character's arc featuring a blackface hand puppet storyline. Chase reportedly uttered the N-word in frustration, leading to backlash and his departure. As previously reported, director Jay Chandrasekhar described a meltdown involving co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, with Chase yelling, 'Who fucked me over? My career is ruined!' He referenced past friendships, like with Richard Pryor, where racial terms were used affectionately.
The Hollywood Reporter noted the slur was not directed at Brown or Donald Glover, though both were present. Other cast and crew declined to participate in the documentary due to sensitivities. Brown responded on Instagram: 'There are things I’ve never spoken of publicly... They actually don’t really know me at all.' Glover had earlier called out Chase's racist jokes in a 2018 New Yorker interview. Chase told CBS Sunday Morning in 2022, 'I don’t give a crap... I am who I am.'