Chevy Chase Says His “Community” Exit Was 'Too Great a Misunderstanding' and Claims He Didn’t Think the Show Was 'Good'
- - Chevy Chase Says His “Community” Exit Was 'Too Great a Misunderstanding' and Claims He Didn’t Think the Show Was 'Good'
Victoria EdelJanuary 1, 2026 at 8:37 PM
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Chevy Chase on 'Community' -
Chevy Chase addressed his departure from the NBC sitcom Community in a new interview
The new CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not alleges that Chase was fired after he had a 'meltdown' on set after news that he allegedly used the N-word was leaked to the press
Chase said that he didn't think the show was 'that good'
Chevy Chase is speaking out about his time on and exit from Community.
Chase, 82, is the subject of the new CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. He and documentary director Marina Zenovich opened up about the project in an interview with The New York Times published Jan. 1. The documentary recounts Chase’s time on the NBC sitcom Community, which ran from 2009 to 2014 for six seasons. He played Pierce Hawthorne, an elderly millionaire with an ornery personality.
The documentary includes claims Chase had a “full meltdown” on set after allegedly using the N-word, leading to his firing during season four. But Chase did not talk about his time on Community in the documentary, and The Times asked him if he wanted to say anything.
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The cast of 'Community.' From left: Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi and Chevy Chase
“It wasn’t a bad experience. I just didn’t think it was that good, the show,” the Saturday Night Live alum said. The reporter pushed back, noting that he “really loved it” at the beginning. “Oh, shut up,” Chase said.
The reporter noted that his daughter Caley Chase said in the documentary that she loved the writing. “My daughter can go to hell,” he said with a laugh.
Asked about how he felt about the role ending, he said, “I thought it ended great.” Pushed, he added, “It was too great a misunderstanding of what I was saying and not saying. I thought that there was at least one person — and another who, for some ungodly reason, didn’t get me, didn’t know who I was, or didn’t realize for one second I’m not racist. They were too young to be aware of my work. Instead, there was some sort of visceral reaction from them.”
In I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, director Jay Chandrasekhar, who worked on Community, recalled the event that led to Chase’s firing. Chandrasekhar said that the events began with a “blackface” hand puppet bit written for Chase's character.
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Chevy Chase on Dec. 4, 2025
While working, Chevy “said something” to costar Yvette Nicole Brown, though Chandrasekhar said he did not hear what was said. The Hollywood Reporter published an article at the time reporting Chase was “frustrated” with his character’s direction and he allegedly used the N-word "when questioning the dialogue.” They noted he did not direct the world to Black cast members Donald Glover and Brown. Chase apologized for using the slur and said he was using it to make a point about his character.
But after the THR article, Chandrasekhar claimed Chase returned to set and had a “full meltdown.” He said Chase came “storming onto the set, and he goes, ‘Who f----- me over?’ … ‘My career is ruined! I’m ruined!’ Like, it’s a full meltdown. ‘F--- all of you!’ "
"And I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s shoot the scene.’ He never ended up coming back after that,” the director said. Neither Community creator Dan Harmon or any of Chase’s Community costars took part in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not.
In the documentary, Chase also recalled the abuse he faced as a child from his mother and stepfather. “Not a lot of people knew about [the abuse],” he told PEOPLE about opening up about his past in the film. “Some did, and some came close. But it was my true life.” He also spoke about his struggles with cocaine and alcohol abuse.
Chase also says in the doc of his negative press, “I don’t give a crap.” At the same time, he told PEOPLE, “I can be hurt easily,” and “I prefer to be liked, not disliked.”
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not premieres Jan. 1 on CNN at 8 p.m. ET.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
