In an emotional, tearful Instagram video shared Tuesday, the comedian said he wanted to start the new year by being more vulnerable and honest. That meant addressing rumors that have followed him for years about how and why he ended up dating the former spouse of his longtime Saturday Night Live castmate.
“I know a lot of people talk about me dating Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, and how that came to be,” Redd said. “I’m just gonna tell it to you straight.”
“There Was No Plan”
Redd pushed back against the idea that he schemed or betrayed Thompson intentionally. He said the situation developed slowly and unexpectedly.
“It was a very unique, nuanced thing,” he explained. “We were all cool. It was never anything crazy until it got crazy.”
Redd then revealed a deeply personal struggle he says played a major role in how everything unfolded. While working on SNL, he admitted he was dealing with pill addiction and was spiraling mentally.
“I had some pill problems,” he said. “Nothing too crazy, but crazy for my Black ass.”
He claimed that while coworkers talked about his behavior behind his back, no one directly stepped in to help — except Evangeline.
How the Relationship Began
According to Redd, Evangeline was the one person who called him out, encouraged him to seek therapy, and supported him when he was at his lowest.
“She helped me with my therapy journey,” he said. “She told me things about her life that made me look at a lot of people involved in it differently.”
Over time, that support turned into something deeper.
“In that time, we fell in love,” Redd said, adding that he felt guilty from the beginning. “It’s always felt like an emotional double-edged sword.”
He stressed that he valued his creative partnership and friendship with Thompson, saying they were a great team and that he hated hurting someone he respected.
The Timing and the Fallout
Thompson filed for divorce from Evangeline in June 2022 after more than a decade of marriage. Court records show the pair had been separated for more than a year before the filing. They share two daughters, Georgia and Gianna.
Redd said he and Thompson did discuss the relationship and continued working together for about a year before the news became public. But once it did, everything changed.
“I was in love, and I was spiraling out,” Redd said. “By the time everybody found out, the world found out, I was out of there — SNL.”
Redd left Saturday Night Live in 2022 after five seasons. He had also co-starred with Thompson on the NBC sitcom Kenan, where he played Thompson’s brother.
Addressing the 2022 Assault
Redd also touched on a separate incident from October 2022, when he was punched in the face outside a New York City comedy club.
Most people who know him, he said, would expect him to retaliate. But this time, he didn’t.
“This time it felt like fair — fair enough,” he said, offering no further details.
“This Wasn’t Meant for Laughs”
Redd closed his video by apologizing to anyone he disappointed and made it clear his message was not meant to be comedy.
“It wasn’t to be a d—,” he said. “It felt like a love I couldn’t miss out on.”
He added that his upcoming show, Caveat, debuting in New York City on Jan. 28, won’t dwell on the controversy. Instead, he says, it will focus on one thing: love.
“I chose love,” Redd said. “Even if I could’ve gone about it differently.”
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