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Chevy Chase’s CNN Documentary Draws Backlash Over “Not Bright Enough” Remark

A brusque moment with the director refocuses attention on CNN’s reassessment of his legacy.

Overview

  • The authorized film, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, directed by Marina Zenovich, premiered on CNN platforms and is available to subscribers.
  • Minutes into the documentary, Chase tells Zenovich she is “not bright enough” to figure him out, a comment that drew sharp criticism across social media.
  • The documentary revisits his 2012 departure from Community after he used the N-word on set, noting his apology and director Jay Chandrasekhar’s account of a meltdown tied to a proposed blackface hand-puppet bit.
  • The film also recounts a disputed 1985 Saturday Night Live episode involving Terry Sweeney, with Chase rejecting Sweeney’s characterization of homophobic behavior.
  • Collaborators describe Chase as difficult to work with, while the film presents his claims of being misunderstood alongside accounts of childhood abuse and recovery from cocaine and alcohol use.