“Community” director says Chevy Chase had 'meltdown' after N-word incident leaked: 'My career is ruined!'
- - “Community” director says Chevy Chase had 'meltdown' after N-word incident leaked: 'My career is ruined!'
Lauren HuffDecember 30, 2025 at 6:01 AM
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Chevy Chase on 'Community'
Director Jay Chandrasekhar is opening up about his memories of, as he puts it, being "there, directing, the night that Chevy Chase got fired from Community."
In CNN Films' upcoming documentary, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, Chandrasekhar recalls the alleged 2012 on-set incident that led to a "full meltdown" of the former Saturday Night Live star.
Per the helmer, it all started with a "blackface hand puppet" storyline in the show written for Chase's "tone-deaf character," Pierce Hawthorne.
Chandrasekhar said he remembers Chase "said something" to his costar Yvette Nicole Brown, who is Black, though he didn't hear what it was at the time. “I know that there was a history between [Chevy and Yvette] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there," Chandrasekhar said. "Chevy storms off, so the producer is like, ‘We need Yvette in the scene, right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, she’s in the next scene.’ And he goes, ‘Well, she won’t come out unless Chevy apologizes to her.’”
Trae Patton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty
Donald Glover as Troy, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, and Chevy Chase on 'Community'
When Chase returned to set a little while later, he told the director he "didn't say anything" to Brown. "He goes, ‘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,’" Chandrasekhar recalled Chase saying, referring to the late stand-up comedian and actor. "And I’m like, ‘I know, man, I love that bit.’ I said, ‘You know, can we just have a little apology?’ He goes, ‘For what?’”
But then, someone leaked to The Hollywood Reporter, as Chandrasekhar put it, about a "racial incident" that happened on set. Per the report, Chase was increasingly frustrated with the direction of his character and used the N-word "when questioning the dialogue.” The outlet further clarified that while stars Brown and Donald Glover, who are both Black, were present for the incident, “The slur was not directed at them.”
After the leak, the director said Chase came back “storming onto the set, and he goes, ‘Who f---ed 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,” added the director.
Following the incident, Chase reportedly apologized. He left the series after season 4, although he made a brief appearance in season 5.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to Chase’s representative for further comment. (Chase appears in the documentary but does not speak about the incident.)
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I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not premieres on Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN.
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