Community Crisis: Chevy Chase Drops N-Word On Set, Production Halted as He Issues Apology
Another controversy is rocking Community.
Multiple sources confirm to TVLine that Chevy Chase dropped the N-word on the set of the NBC comedy Friday afternoon in the presence of his African-American co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover. According to an insider, the acting vet was struggling with his character’s dialogue and, in a moment of frustration, uttered the racial epithet.
The slur was not directed at Brown and Glover specifically, maintains another source close to the production, who adds that Chase has grown increasingly unhappy with the dark direction of his character, the bigoted Pierce Hawthorne. But it nonetheless caused enough of a stir to briefly interrupt production. Chase eventually summoned the cast and crew together to issue a formal apology.
An NBC spokesperson and reps for Chase declined to comment. Emails to Sony, which produces Community, were not returned.
This is the second Community-related controversy that Chase has found himself at the center of. At the end of last season, he was embroiled in a rather public showdown with series creator Dan Harmon, prompting many to wonder if Chase’s days at Greendale were numbered. Ultimately, it was Harmon who was ousted (but allegedly not due to his feud with Chase).
Coincidentally, the incident took place on the same day NBC originally planned to premiere the show’s fourth season. Earlier this month, the network announced that it was delaying the show’s return for scheduling reasons.
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