Director Details Chevy Chase Meltdown On ‘Community’ Set Following Racial Slur Incident

New revelations regarding the tumultuous exit of Chevy Chase from the sitcom ‘Community’ have surfaced in a forthcoming documentary. Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed several episodes of the beloved series, provided a firsthand account of the events leading up to the actor’s departure. These details are part of the upcoming CNN feature ‘I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not’ which explores the career and controversies of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ alum. Chandrasekhar described a chaotic environment that culminated in a full-blown meltdown after a specific racial slur incident was leaked to the press.

The trouble reportedly began during the filming of an episode involving a hand puppet for Chase’s character, Pierce Hawthorne. Chase became increasingly frustrated with the creative direction of his character and felt the writing was becoming racially insensitive. According to Chandrasekhar, this frustration boiled over when Chase used the N-word in the presence of co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover. While accounts suggest the slur was not directed at the actors but rather used to critique the dialogue, the impact on the set was immediate and severe.

Yvette Nicole Brown reportedly stormed off the set following the outburst. Chandrasekhar recalled a producer stating that Brown would not return to film her scenes unless Chase issued an apology. When the director approached Chase to facilitate this, the actor seemed dismissive of the gravity of the situation. Chase attempted to justify his language by citing his friendship with the late comedian Richard Pryor. He claimed that he and Pryor used such language with each other affectionately, but this defense did little to quell the tension on the ‘Community’ set.

Matters escalated when the incident was leaked to the media shortly after it occurred. Chandrasekhar described Chase returning to the set in a rage after seeing the reports in the press. The actor was reportedly screaming and demanding to know who had leaked the story, shouting accusations at the cast and crew. This reaction was described as a complete meltdown where Chase lamented that his career was being ruined by the exposure of his behavior.

The documentary director noted that despite attempts to include them, no fellow cast members from ‘Community’ agreed to be interviewed for the project. This silence from former co-stars like Joel McHale and series creator Dan Harmon speaks volumes about the lasting strain caused by those years of production. The incident involving the racial slur and the subsequent on-set explosion appears to have been the final breaking point. Chase was written out of the show shortly thereafter, ending his tenure on the series under a cloud of controversy.

We are interested to hear what you think about this new perspective on the events that reshaped the show, so please leave your opinions in the comments.