After Chevy Chase Reveals He Spent Part Of 2021 In Coma Due To Heart Issues, His Absence From SNL50 Hits Different

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Chevy Chase is still strongly remembered for his time on Saturday Night Live, having been one of the original cast members when the show began in 1975. However, his relationship with SNL hasn’t always been smooth. He wasn’t involved in the show’s 50th-anniversary celebration earlier this year, although he did attend as a spectator. News that Chase was in a coma in 2021 adds a new perspective to his absence from that event.

A new CNN documentary called I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not will premiere on New Year’s Day as part of the network’s 2026 programming. Ahead of the release, details from the film are starting to emerge, including information about a serious health scare Chevy Chase experienced. His daughter, Caley, revealed that he suffered heart failure but has since recovered, describing it as him “coming back from the dead.” Chevy’s wife, Jayni, has also spoken about the difficult time.

I wish he could have told me what he was feeling, but he just couldn’t explain. That’s why we ended up rushing to the emergency room. It was terrifying – his heart just stopped. Later, the doctors explained that years of drinking had weakened his heart muscle, a condition called cardiomyopathy. It basically means his heart couldn’t pump enough blood with each beat, and it ultimately led to this awful moment.

Chevy Chase was placed in a medically induced coma for eight days due to heart problems. His daughter, Caley Chase, shared that doctors warned the family they might lose him. Thankfully, Chevy did recover and was able to communicate, but the coma left him with some ongoing memory difficulties, according to Chase.

Doctors warned me this might damage my memory, and that’s exactly what’s happened. I’m doing okay now, but I’ve been having memory problems, so I need reminders to help me remember things.

Chevy Chase seems to have a history of needing reminders about past conflicts, including disagreements with his Community co-star Donald Glover and other colleagues he’s worked with. He’s also reportedly had ongoing issues with people at Saturday Night Live.

Hearing about the comedian’s health at 82 makes you wonder if that played a role in why he wasn’t at the SNL50 celebration back in February. There was speculation he didn’t appear because of old conflicts with people at the show. Could memory loss have prevented him from resolving those issues?

Hearing about Chevy Chase’s health struggles definitely changes how I see his limited role in the recent special. We may never get the full story about why he wasn’t involved much, and honestly, that’s okay. It’s just really heartwarming to know he and his family are thankful he’s doing better. As a fan, that’s what really matters to me.

The new CNN special, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, will debut on January 1st at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. In the meantime, you can watch SNL50: The Anniversary Special by subscribing to Peacock.

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2025-12-28 00:38