The Truth Behind Chevy Chase’s Exit from Community: Was Dan Harmon to Blame?

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As a comedy fan, I was really surprised and delighted when Community premiered in 2009. It felt like a total comeback for Chevy Chase, reminding everyone how funny he could be. But honestly, I was even more shocked when he suddenly left the show during its fourth season. It was completely unexpected!

A new documentary about Chevy Chase, called I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, implies that Community creator Dan Harmon was behind the conflict that led to Chase leaving the show. Community, widely considered one of Harmon’s strongest works, was his passion project, and disagreements with Chevy Chase arose when the actor resisted following directions on set.

Despite some issues with the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, Chevy Chase continued to receive praise and connect with a new audience thanks to his role in Community. This came decades after he first became famous with the Vacation films. Even after Harmon publicly insulted Chase in front of his family at a season three wrap party, the actor wasn’t fired.

Chevy Chase’s New Documentary Suggests He Was Fired From Community Because Of Dan Harmon

Chevy Chase left the show Community after a disagreement with co-star Yvette Nicole Brown during the fourth season. The conflict became public, leading to a quick departure from the show just six episodes into its thirteen-episode run.

The book I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not points to a moment during the Community episode “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking” as the starting point of a conflict. According to the episode’s director, Jay Chandrasekhar, the issue began with a scene written by Dan Harmon that involved a hand-puppet routine using blackface.

The issues between Chevy Chase and Yvette Nicole Brown, which ultimately led to his departure from the show, stemmed from this established pattern of behavior. Essentially, the book I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not suggests that Dan Harmon was largely responsible for what happened.

Dan Harmon Was No Longer Community Showrunner At The Time Of Chase’s Departure

Many believe the fourth season of Community suffered because Dan Harmon, the show’s creator, wasn’t involved at all. NBC fired him six months before Chevy Chase’s departure, and his absence significantly impacted the season’s quality.

The creator of Community didn’t write the episode “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking,” which was penned by Hunter Covington, a writer known for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and My Name Is Earl. He also wasn’t involved in writing any other episodes from season 4. When he returned to lead season 5, Chevy Chase had already left the show.

There’s serious doubt about whether Jay Chandrasekhar really said Dan Harmon wrote the blackface hand-puppet scene in “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking.” It appears the book, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, combined a voiceover of Chandrasekhar saying Harmon’s name with video of him discussing the scene, making it seem like he claimed Harmon wrote it.

This editing choice is misleading, making it seem like the documentary is accusing Dan Harmon of writing the problematic scene and completely changing how the story is understood. Regardless of whether it was deliberate, the documentary gives the false impression that Harmon was responsible for Chase losing his job.

Why Chevy Chase Left Community In Season 4

Although Chevy Chase and Community creator Dan Harmon had a difficult relationship, Harmon wasn’t the reason Chase left the show. Chase says his departure stemmed from a disagreement—a misunderstanding, as he describes it—that happened while filming an episode in season 4.

The issue stemmed from a blackface hand-puppet sketch, as Jay Chandrasekhar explained, but it quickly became a larger problem. Chase was concerned his character was being portrayed as racist, and while expressing his frustration, he used a racial slur as an example of potentially offensive dialogue his character might be given.

Yvette Nicole Brown was upset when Chevy Chase used a racial slur on set and reportedly left after he tried to defend his actions. The incident became public, and Chase was angry about being labeled a racist. This led to a conflict with NBC executives, and ultimately, his contract with the show Community was ended by agreement between both parties.

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2026-01-06 03:38