The revelations come from I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, a new authorized documentary premiering Jan. 1 on CNN. In it, director Jay Chandrasekhar, who helmed several episodes of Community, recounts being present during the infamous 2012 incident that triggered Chase’s exit.
What sparked the incident
According to Chandrasekhar, the trouble began during filming of a scene involving a controversial “blackface” hand puppet gag written for Pierce Hawthorne, Chase’s character. Tensions were already high, and during the discussion, Chase used the N-word while questioning the dialogue.
At the time, The Hollywood Reporter said Chase was frustrated with the direction of his character and clarified that the slur was not aimed at any cast members, though Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover were both present.
Brown, who Chandrasekhar said had a difficult history with Chase regarding race-related issues, reportedly left the set in anger. Production stalled when she refused to return unless Chase apologized.
“For what?”
Chandrasekhar recalled asking Chase to offer a simple apology. Instead, Chase defended himself by referencing his past friendship with the late comedian Richard Pryor, saying they had used racial language jokingly with each other.
When asked to apologize, Chase allegedly responded, “For what?”
The leak — and the breakdown
After filming wrapped that day, news of a “racial incident” leaked to The Hollywood Reporter. When production resumed, Chandrasekhar said Chase arrived furious and distraught.
“He came storming onto the set,” Chandrasekhar recalled in the documentary. “He was yelling, ‘Who ruined me? My career is over!’ It was a full meltdown.”
Despite attempts to continue filming, Chase never returned to the show after that moment.
A troubled relationship behind the scenes
Chase officially exited Community after season four, which aired in 2013, though he made a brief return for one episode the following year. His departure followed years of public tension with the show’s creator, Dan Harmon.
That feud famously boiled over at a wrap party, where Harmon encouraged the cast and crew to chant an expletive at Chase — an incident that later led to a leaked, profanity-filled voicemail from the actor.
Family reaction
Chase’s daughter Caley Chase also appears in the documentary, recalling how painful that wrap party moment was for their family.
“My dad was excited to show us the show he worked on,” she said. “We walked in, and everyone was chanting insults at him. That was rough. And mean.”
A complicated legacy
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, directed by Marina Zenovich, explores both Chase’s legendary comedy career and the controversies that have followed him. The documentary premieres Jan. 1 on CNN at 8 p.m. EST.
More than a decade later, the incident remains one of the most talked-about behind-the-scenes implosions in modern television — a reminder of how quickly tensions can boil over, and how lasting the fallout can be.
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