Chevy Chase’s daughter says comedian ‘came back from the dead’ four years ago after eight-day coma

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Chevy Chase’s daughter revealed that her father miraculously recovered after a serious health issue in 2021, describing it as if he ‘came back from the dead‘.

Four years ago, the former Saturday Night Live cast member, now 82, spent eight days in a coma while being treated for heart failure.

I was really moved watching the new documentary about Chevy Chase, ‘I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not.’ His daughter, Caley Chase – she’s 40 and one of his three kids with his wife, Jayni – bravely shared some incredibly difficult details about a really tough time in his life. It was powerful to hear her perspective.

He also recently spoke up about not being invited to the celebration of SNL’s 50th anniversary, despite being part of the very first cast back in 1975 and 1976.

In a clip from the documentary, she described his recovery as remarkable, saying he’d essentially survived a life-threatening heart failure, according to Variety.

Chase’s daughters, Cydney, 42, and Emily, 37, along with other family members, will also be featured in the new documentary series, where they share memories of his recent health crisis.

‘Something was wrong, and he couldn’t explain to me what was wrong,’ Chase’s wife Jayni said. 

We rushed him to the emergency room, but his heart stopped. He’d been drinking heavily for years, which led to cardiomyopathy – a condition that weakens the heart muscle and makes it harder to pump blood effectively.

Peter Aaron, a close friend of Chase, appeared in the documentary and described the week-long coma as very hard on the comedian’s physical health.

He remembered doctors telling him they planned to put him in a medically induced coma for around eight days, explaining that it’s very hard on the body.

Oh my gosh, it was just… heartbreaking. Chase said that the doctor had basically warned them – us – that there was a real chance they wouldn’t get him back. Like, he might not be himself anymore. They told Chase and his family to prepare for the absolute worst, and just thinking about it makes me want to cry. It was so scary!

‘He woke up, all he could do was use his voice,’ she said.

Caley was deeply concerned that her father’s heart failure and coma could cause lasting damage.

She remembered realizing it was still him when a nurse entered to inspect the medical devices.

‘She said, “I’m going to have to put this in here.” the actor said, “That’s what she said.”‘

In his documentary, Chase revealed that the eight-day coma had long-term consequences, including memory loss, after he was hospitalized for heart failure.

‘It’s just that it affects your memory,’ he said. ‘So, I have to be reminded of things.’ 

Chase shared that he was overjoyed to be home with his family during what he called his final few days there, adding that he felt a sense of pride.

He said he’d been hospitalized for five weeks, but at the time didn’t mention he’d been in a coma following a heart failure.

Thinking about what her father went through after his recent illness and hospital stay, she said, ‘Honestly, he’s in his eighties and has made an incredible recovery – it’s like he’s come back to life.’

She exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, he had heart failure! Has anyone mentioned that? It’s just a difficult subject to bring up.”

Besides his daughter Caley, his other daughters also shared their frightening experience in his documentary. Cydney recalled, ‘It was really scary when he was in the hospital.’

Everyone was together when it happened, and it was during the COVID pandemic. Caley remembers the doctor warning them that there was a real possibility they wouldn’t get him back, that his recovery was uncertain, and that they should brace for the worst possible outcome.

He released a statement in 2021 after leaving the hospital due to a health issue.

He expressed his joy at being reunited with his family. He shared that he was recovering well after spending five weeks in the hospital due to a heat-related health issue and is currently resting at home with no plans to travel.

The CNN Films documentary, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, premieres on January 1 at 8 p.m. ET. 

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2025-12-29 00:19