Posted in: Current News, NBC, Netflix, Peacock, TV, YouTube | Tagged: community

Community N-Word Incident Result of "Misunderstanding": Chevy Chase

Discussing Community, Chevy Chase said he "didn’t think it was that good" and claimed that the N-word incident was a "misunderstanding."

With filmmaker Marina Zenovich's documentary, I'm Chevy Chase, and You're Not, set to hit CNN screens tonight, Chevy Chase's time on Dan Harmon's Donald Glover (Troy), Ken Jeong (Ben Chang), Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley), Joel McHale (Jeff), Gillian Jacobs (Britta), Danny Pudi (Abed), Alison Brie (Annie), and Jim Rash (Dean Pelton)-starring Community has been back in the spotlight. Unfortunately, it's not for very good reasons. First, we learned from Zenovich that Harmon and the cast declined to participate in the documentary. Following that, we learned that director Jay Chandrasekhar had offered his insights into the 2012 on-set incident that led to Chase being fired from the popular NBC series for the documentary. Reportedly, Chase took issue with a "blackface" hand puppet that Chase's Pierce Hawthorne was going to utilize and "said something" to Brown (more on what Chandrasekhar had to share below).

During an interview with The New York Times, Zenovich and Chase had a chance to offer a deeper dive into the documentary. Noting that he doesn't address the popular series, the interviewer asked Chase if there was anything he wanted to say about his time on Community. "It wasn't a bad experience. I just didn't think it was that good, the show," Chase responded, though the interviewer did push back on Chase, reminding him of past comments where he praised the show and its writing. When he shared that he thought the way his role ended on the show was "great," Chase was asked to elaborate. "It was too great a misunderstanding of what I was saying and not saying. I thought that there was at least one person — and another who, for some ungodly reason, didn't get me, didn't know who I was, or didn't realize for one second I'm not racist. They were too young to be aware of my work. Instead, there was some sort of visceral reaction from them," he said.

Community Director Offers Insights Into Chevy Chase/N-Word Incident

Reportedly, Chase took issue with a "blackface" hand puppet that Chase's Pierce Hawthorne was going to utilize and "said something" to Brown. "I know that there was a history between [Chevy and Brown] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there," Chandrasekhar shared. "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.'" But according to the director, Chase didn't see a reason for an apology.

"He [Chase] 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.' 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?' " Chandrasekhar shared. From there, it was alleged that someone leaked to The Hollywood Reporter that a "racial incident" took place on the set, which would see Chase reportedly having a "full meltdown" when the cast and production team resumed filming.

The director claimed that Chase came "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–k all of you!' And I'm like, 'Alright, let's shoot the scene.' He never ended up coming back after that." Chandrasekhar added, "It was out in the open that Chevy Chase was a little difficult on 'Community,' and I'm being nice, People were talking about it, enough that creator Dan did that thing at the wrap party." During the wrap party, Chase was greeted by Harmon and others in attendance with the chant of "F**k you, Chevy!"

Yvette Nicole Brown: "No One Else Should Be Chiming in on MY Behalf"

Though not addressing the documentary or any of the comments/allegations stemming from it directly, Brown took to social media to make it clear that no one speaks for her, and that she has her reasons for choosing to speak (or not speak) on matters. "Do your own work so you don't become labor for others. That is my motto," Brown began the caption to her Instagram post (which included a screencap of Brown's previous response. "Beyond that truth, if I have something to say, I have NO problem saying it. I've never had a problem speaking up and out with my whole chest when it is warranted or I when think it will change a wayward mind or some truly disgusting behavior. When I choose NOT to speak on something it's usually because it won't change a thing and more importantly because it's most likely tawdry, low-vibrational or dumb and therefore BENEATH me," she added. "I don't sully myself for anyone. We don't defile over here."

Brown continued, "And when someone chooses to sully or defile themselves, I let them — BIG age or not. And they need to fully own what they alone have done without placing blame or looking for scapegoats. Don't smear any of that mess over here for clout or reputation rehabilitation. This side of the street remains clean. Read between whatever lines you need to, but before you run anywhere with anything I've said here, make sure YOU know what YOU'RE talking about, too. Mmkay? I will not be saying another word about any of this mess… again, because it is beneath me. No one else should be chiming in on MY behalf, either. #RunTelDat" Here's a look at Brown's post:

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