{"id":378670,"date":"2025-12-30T22:43:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T22:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/378670\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T22:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T22:43:11","slug":"yvette-nicole-brown-puts-cnn-chevy-chase-doc-on-blast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/378670\/","title":{"rendered":"Yvette Nicole Brown Puts CNN Chevy Chase Doc on Blast"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tYvette Nicole Brown<\/a> is speaking out ahead of the release of CNN\u2019s documentary on Chevy Chase<\/a>, I\u2019m Chevy Chase and You\u2019re Not, which reopens old wounds from the set of NBC\u2019s Community involving allegations of racist slurs and harassment.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrown, who starred as Shirley Bennett on the comedy, posted a statement on Instagram<\/a> that appeared to address the documentary, though she never referenced it by name.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThese are things I\u2019ve never spoken of publicly and perhaps never will,\u201d Smith wrote. \u201cAnyone currently speaking FOR or ABOUT me with perceived authority is speaking without EVER speaking to me about the things they claim to know about. They actually don\u2019t really know me \u2014 at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tShe continued, \u201cThey also have no knowledge of my relationship with anyone I\u2019ve worked with & cannot credibly speak on any current or previous issues. I hate that this all had to be said. In East Cleveland speak: Keep my name out of your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tNo one in the Community cast agreed to participate in the documentary, directed by Maria Zenovich (2008\u2019s Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, 2020\u2019s Lance), which details the events that led to Chase\u2019s firing from the show in 2012, midway through its fourth season.<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to the documentary, Chase felt ostracized by the tight-knit cast, which besides Brown included breakout stars like Donald Glover, Alison Brie and Joel McHale. <\/p>\n

\n\tHe also clashed with series creator Dan Harmon, a feud that culminated with Chase arriving with his family to a wrap party only to find Harmon leading the room in a chant of, \u201cFuck you, Chevy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe incident that led to his firing involved a scene in which Chase\u2019s character Pierce Hawthorne performs a puppet show in which the hand puppet character performs in blackface.<\/p>\n

\n\tAn argument over the appropriateness of the scene between Chase and Brown allegedly included an utterance of the N-word by Chase, which led to Brown storming off the set.<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector\u00a0Jay Chandrasekhar, who did participate in the doc,\u00a0was present for the incident.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI know that there was a history between [Chevy\u00a0and\u00a0Yvette] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there.\u00a0Chevy\u00a0storms off, so the producer is like, \u2018We need\u00a0Yvette\u00a0in the scene, right?\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018Yeah, she\u2019s in the next scene.\u2019 And he goes, \u2018Well, she won\u2019t come out unless\u00a0Chevy\u00a0apologizes to her,\u2019\u201d Chandrasekhar recalled.<\/p>\n

\n\tChase did return to set, according to Chandrasekhar, but did not apologize.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHe goes, \u2018You know, me and\u00a0Richard Pryor, I used to call\u00a0Richard Pryor\u00a0the N-word, and he used to call me The Honky, and we loved each other.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018I know, man, I love that bit.\u2019 I said, \u2018You know, can we just have a little apology?\u2019 He goes, \u2018For what?\u2019\u201d\u00a0Chandrasekhar said.<\/p>\n

\n\t(A tense exchange between Chase and Pryor on The Tonight Show<\/a> in 1977, in which Pryor said, \u201cI don\u2019t like Chevy,\u201d suggests the pair may not have been as tight as Chase claims.)<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Hollywood Reporter ran a story on the incident<\/a>, leading Chase to have \u201ca full meltdown,\u201d the director recalls, shouting, \u201cWho fucked me over?! \u2026 My career is ruined! I\u2019m ruined! Fuck all of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe was fired from the show that evening. Chase does not comment on the incident in the documentary.<\/p>\n

\n\tElsewhere, the film revealed Chase was so unpopular on set that Harmon wrote his character breaking both legs into the plot, so that Chase could film his scenes in a wheelchair separate from the rest of the cast.<\/p>\n

\n\tChase\u2019s wife, Jayni Chase, also says Chase was drinking heavily at that time and showing up to work drunk.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe CNN documentary<\/a>, which premieres Jan. 1, features archival footage and new interviews with former colleagues and co-stars like Lorne Michaels and Goldie Hawn. It also includes new interviews with Chase.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe film tracks the comedian\u2019s rise in the 1970s as one of the original stars of Saturday Night Live, his blockbuster movie years with the National Lampoon\u2019s Vacation franchise and his later reputation as a difficult collaborator.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrown and Chase did not respond to THR\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n