Terry Sweeney isn’t holding back when it comes to Chevy Chase.
The Saturday Night Live alumnus—and show’s first openly gay cast member—recently fired back at Chase after learning what he said in a new CNN documentary.
In I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, premiering Thursday night, Chase makes a shocking claim about Sweeney that has reignited decades-old tensions.
And Sweeney’s response? He’s calling Chase “rotten” and refusing to accept any excuses for his behavior.
A Cruel Joke From the Past Resurfaces
During his 1985-86 season on SNL, Sweeney faced homophobia that was jaw-dropping even by that era’s standards.
Director Marina Zenovich reminded Chase of one particularly offensive moment in the documentary. She recounted how Chase had suggested a sketch idea to Sweeney that mocked him for being gay and made light of AIDS—during the height of an epidemic that was devastating the LGBTQ+ community.
You said something to Sweeney like, ‘Oh, you’re the gay guy. Why don’t we ask if you have AIDS? And every week, we weigh you.’
Chase’s response to being reminded of this incident was equally shocking.
Terry Sweeney, he was very funny, this guy. I don’t think he’s alive anymore.
Sweeney Responds: “I’m Still Very Much Alive”
Spoiler alert: Sweeney, now 75, is absolutely still alive.
When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter about Chase’s comments, Sweeney didn’t mince words. He called out Chase’s assumption about his death as further proof of who the comedian really is.
Don’t you think he is saying this and making himself look more like the ass he is!!! It all reflects rightly horribly on him!
Sweeney was breaking barriers at SNL during an incredibly hostile time. He was the show’s first openly gay cast member who was out before being hired—making him the only openly gay actor on network television at that point.
An Apology That Wasn’t Really An Apology
In the SNL oral history book Live From New York, Sweeney previously detailed what happened after Chase made his offensive joke.
According to Sweeney, Chase came to his dressing room to apologize—but was visibly angry about having to do so.
Chase disputes this version of events entirely. In the documentary, he claims Sweeney is lying about the whole encounter.
My memory is that he is lying, is my memory. He’s not telling the truth. That isn’t me. That’s not who I am. And if I am that way, my life has changed, because I have to live with that now for the rest of my f—ing life.
SNL boss Lorne Michaels offered his own take on Chase’s behavior, essentially chalking it up to “Chevy being Chevy.”
I think Chevy was just being Chevy. He would say things that were funny, and he would assume you were comedy people, and he could speak that way. You know, we would say terrible things, because that’s what would make us laugh.
Sweeney Rejects Excuses for Chase’s Behavior
The documentary apparently explores childhood abuse Chase suffered, positioning it as possible context for why so many former colleagues have negative feelings about him.
Sweeney isn’t buying it as an excuse.
Boohoo … poor screwed up kid … so THAT’s why he’s so rotten!!!!!!!
His sarcastic response makes clear that he believes a difficult childhood doesn’t justify cruel behavior toward others—especially behavior that targets marginalized communities during times of crisis.
A Pattern of Controversial Behavior
Chase’s treatment of Sweeney wasn’t an isolated incident. His career has been marked by multiple controversies involving offensive language and behavior.
Most notably, Chase was fired from NBC sitcom Community in 2012 following an incident where he used the N-word during a conversation with co-star Yvette Nicole Brown.
Director Jay Chandrasekhar, who worked on several Community episodes, described the situation in the documentary. Chase had reportedly used the slur while arguing that his character would have said it in a particular scene.
Production was briefly halted until Chase apologized. But when The Hollywood Reporter broke the story, things escalated dramatically.
According to Chandrasekhar, Chase stormed onto set and had what he described as a “full meltdown.”
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.
None of Chase’s Community co-stars agreed to participate in the documentary—a telling silence that speaks volumes about their experiences working with him.
Why This Matters Beyond Hollywood Drama
Sweeney’s willingness to speak out decades later highlights something important: marginalized people shouldn’t have to accept abuse in workplace environments, regardless of industry norms or “comedy culture.”
His experience at SNL came during a terrifying period for gay men in America. AIDS was killing thousands, and homophobia was rampant. Making jokes about AIDS and suggesting weekly weigh-ins wasn’t edgy comedy—it was cruelty directed at a community facing literal genocide.
The context matters immensely. What Michaels characterized as comedians saying “terrible things” to make each other laugh wasn’t happening in a vacuum—it was happening to someone from a community watching friends die while society largely looked away or actively celebrated their suffering.
Sweeney’s refusal to accept excuses for Chase’s behavior—whether rooted in childhood trauma or comedy culture—is a reminder that explanations don’t erase harm. Understanding why someone behaves poorly doesn’t obligate their targets to forgive them.
The documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not premieres Thursday night on CNN, promising to explore the complicated legacy of a comedian whose professional success has been repeatedly overshadowed by interpersonal failures.