‘Community’ Co-Star Responds to Chevy Chase Documentary

One of the most notable actors in television history is the subject of a controversial new documentary, and fans noticed the absence of certain co-stars in the film.

No members of the "Community" cast are appearing in "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," an authorized documentary on the actor set to premiere on New Year's Day.

Director Marina Zenovich told Variety that "every single person" associated with the show's cast declined, including creator Dan Harmon.

Why Chevy Chase Left 'Community'

Zenovich was able to speak with Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed nine episodes of the show. She says that she spoke to "the right mix of people" for the CNN documentary, but also noted that she would have liked to speak with more of the "Community" cast.

The documentary attempts to explain Chase's exit from the show in 2012 after appearing in the first four seasons. In the film, Chandrasekhar detailed the moment that led to his firing - Chase allegedly using a racial slur on set and angering members of the cast.

“I know that there was a history between [Chevy and co-star Yvette Nicole Brown] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there," Chandrasekhar said. "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.'"

Chandrasekhar says the apology never came, and that Chase seemed to not understand why he needed to apologize. Ahead of the documentary's official release, Brown appeared to address the incident and the fallout in a social media post.

Yvette Nicole Brown's Social Media Post

“These are things I’ve never spoken of publicly and perhaps never will,” the veteran actress said. “Anyone 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’t really know me — at all.”

Brown added that anyone discussing her career has "no knowledge of my relationship with anyone I’ve worked with & cannot credibly speak on any current or previous issues."

Chase has spoken about his time on the show in the past, including a 2023 appearance on Marc Maron's podcast in which he said that the show "wasn’t funny enough."

“Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me," Chase told Maron at the time. "I felt happier being alone. I just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much."

In addition to Chase's time on and exit from "Community," the new film will also focus on his rise to prominence as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member as well as his roles in films like "Caddyshack" and the "National Lampoon's Vacation" series.

"I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" will premiere on New Year's Day on CNN.