Yvette Nicole Brown is not here for anyone revisiting old drama involving her former co-star Chevy Chase.
The actress and comedian made that crystal clear after renewed attention landed on a tense moment from the set of “Community,” where Chase has again been linked to the use of a racial slur during a heated exchange.
According to the New York Post, the renewed chatter stems from commentary tied to an upcoming CNN documentary, “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” which revisits the actor’s turbulent time on the NBC series, including an on-set confrontation that ultimately contributed to his exit.
Director Jay Chandrasekhar describes the heated exchange between the two co-stars that ended with Brown storming off set. He claims Chase used the N-word during the moment and later apologized.
Brown, who reportedly refused to participate, along with the rest of the show cast, did not rehash the incident from years ago. Instead, she spoke on people attaching motives to her, or positioning her as a supporting character in a story she says does not belong to them.
Brown, now 54, made it clear in an Instagram post that while others may be eager to narrate her experience, they are doing so without her consent or input.
“These are things I’ve never spoken of publicly and perhaps never will,” Brown wrote, setting a firm boundary before the conversation could drift further.
“Anyone currently speaking FOR or ABOUT me with perceived authority is speaking without EVER speaking to me about the things they claim to know about,” she added, emphasizing that proximity to an event does not equal permission to interpret it.
Brown’s tone struck a balance between calm and unmistakably firm, a throughline she maintained throughout the statement.
“They actually don’t really know me — at all,” she continued, distancing herself from secondhand accounts and false narratives.
The former “Girlfriends” actress closed that portion of her message with: “I hate that this all had to be said. In East Cleveland speak: Keep my name out your mouth.”
Her followers responded instantly.
One commenter wrote, “I have no idea what’s going on, but these earrings are coming off just in case.”
Another praised Brown’s restraint, “So well said, you have a lot of class!”
The contrast underscored exactly why Brown chose to draw a hard line rather than debate the details publicly.
The original 2012 incident has long been understood as a turning point for Chase on “Community.”
The Hollywood Reporter at the time described an environment already strained by creative disagreements, with the confrontation accelerating his eventual dismissal from the series. While apologies were reportedly issued, the fallout lingered, becoming part of the show’s complicated legacy.
Donald Glover, another Black co-star and key figure in the conversation, has addressed his own experiences working alongside Chase in past appearances. Without repeating the language, the actor-turned-rapper framed it as a joke at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards.
At the show, he presented an award to Paul Simms, stating, “This award was named after Herb Sargent, a writer who worked on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and came up with ‘Weekend Update’ with Chevy Chase. Chevy Chase once called Herb one of the funniest writers working in television. And Chevy Chase once called me … you know, this is about Paul.”
Donald Glover on Chevy Chase's frequency of using the n-word with him. pic.twitter.com/Wh3fteLh3z
— Christopher Marc (@_ChristopherM) December 30, 2025
He later went into a story bit about filming an intimate eight hour scene on the set of “Girls,” which was later cut down to two minutes unbeknownst to him.
“I asked Lena [Dunham], ‘Hey, what made you decide to work with Paul [Simms, an executive producer on the HBO hit]?’ And she goes ‘Honestly, this N— lets me do whatever I want.’ And I remember thinking two things. One, Lena is using the N-word extremely liberally. Who does she think she is, Chevy Chase? And two, that’s the kind of producer I want.”
The broader cultural backdrop of a white comic saying the slur has only made these conversations louder.
Chase allegedly told Chandrasekhar that one of the biggest Black comedians lets him say the racial slur: “He goes, ‘You know, me and Richard Pryor, I used to call Richard Pryor the N-word, and he used to call me the Honky, and we loved each other.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, man, I love that bit.’ I said, ‘You know, can we just have a little apology?’ He goes, ‘For what?’ ”
Then there was the infamous Dec. 13, 1975, “SNL” skit where Chase said the word on live television. He is not alone. Other comics have been given N-word passes by their colleagues in Hollywood.
Cot damn. This really puts into context societal changes. He really said the N word w/ the hard 'r' & it was normal, fine. No biggie. That's crazy lol. Never knew it was ok in mainstream culture lol.
— Mayo (@YDKI007) December 30, 2025
Comedian Gary Owen, a white man with Black children and partners, once found himself under scrutiny after openly discussing his relationship with the same word during a live show and in interviews.
Brown, however, refused to be folded into any of those parallel arguments. In her caption, she asserted ownership over her voice and her narrative.
“I will not be saying another word about any of this hot mess,” Brown insisted.
Adding, “No one else should be chiming in on MY behalf, either.”
