SNL star Terry Sweeney lays into Chevy Chase for suggesting the openly gay comic appear in AIDS sketch

Openly gay Saturday Night Live veteran Terry Sweeney speaks out about the offensive AIDS sketch Chevy Chase proposed in the 1980s.

Sweeney, 75, called Chase an ‘a**’ for his behavior while talking to him Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Chase and Sweeney for comment but has yet to hear back.

This painful episode is referenced in the new CNN documentary I Am Chevy Chase And You Are Not, in which the film’s director Marina Zenovich, Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller evoke Chase’s memory of the event by quoting Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History Of Saturday Night Live As Told By It’s Stars, Writers, And Guests, an oral history of the iconic sketch comedy series.

Chase, 82, returned to host SNL in the mid-’80s after becoming a breakout star in the show’s inaugural season, but his infamously difficult behavior came to light when he made AIDS-related jokes to Sweeney in the middle of the pandemic — which occurred before he starred in the 1985-86 season.

“You said something to Sweeney: ‘Oh, you’re the gay guy. Why don’t we ask if you have AIDS? And we weigh you every week,'” Zenovich told Chase during his interview.

Chase, 82, was questioned about the assault in CNN’s new documentary I Am Chevy Chase And You Are Not, airing January 1; Filmed in New York in February

The documentary then cuts to SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels defending Chase.

‘I think Chevy was just being Chevy. He would say funny things and assume you were a comedy person and could talk that way,” Michaels said. ‘You know, we would say really mean things because that’s what made us laugh.’

The documentary flashes back to Chase’s interview, where he does nothing but apologize or introspect.

Accordingly USA TodayChase laughed awkwardly when he was reminded of the AIDS joke.

‘That’s the worst,’ he admitted, and said, ‘Terry Sweeney, that guy was so funny.’

‘I don’t think he’s alive anymore,’ Chase added, before revealing that he hoped Sweeney was dead, ‘Because I don’t want you to talk to him about it.’

Sweeney, who declined to participate in the documentary, appeared stunned by the instant message exchange sent to THR.

‘Don’t you think he’s saying that and showing himself more as he is!!!’ Sweeney wrote. ‘All of this reflects horribly on him!’

Marina Zenovich, the film’s director, told Chase: ‘You said something to Sweeney: ‘Oh, you’re the gay man.’ Why don’t we ask if he has AIDS? And we weigh you every week’; Pictured in National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985).

SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels defended Chase in the documentary. ‘Chevy was just acting like Chevy. He would say funny things and assume you were a comedy person and could talk that way. You know, we used to say very mean things because that’s what made us laugh’; Filmed in Los Angeles in September

‘This is the worst,’ Chase admitted, laughing, and then added, ‘Terry Sweeney, that guy was hilarious.’ ‘I don’t think he’s alive anymore,’ Chase added, before revealing that he hoped Sweeney was dead, ‘because I don’t want you to talk to him about it’; Seen in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not

Sweeney appeared stunned by the instant message exchange sent to THR. ‘Don’t you think he’s saying that and showing himself more as he is!!!’ Sweeney wrote. ‘All of this reflects horribly on him!’; Filmed in New York in February

Sweeney was hired by SNL as a writer shortly after graduating from college, based on the strong reviews received by some of his New York City drag acts.

Although he was hired shortly after Lorne Michaels left SNL, the show’s creator returned in the late ’80s and cast Sweeney for the 1985-86 season, making him the first openly gay male actor on SNL as well as one of the only openly gay actors on television in general.

However, Sweeney primarily appeared in skits that featured gay stereotypes or required him to perform in drag, and he often appeared in skits that aired later in the air, where SNL’s weakest sketches were traditionally programmed.

In the documentary, a crew member then suggests reading some of Sweeney’s memories of his brief time working with Chase at SNL.

‘Oh, that’s great, thank you. ‘This will make my day,’ Chase replied.

While speaking to Shales and Miller for their Live From New York oral history that aired in 2015, Sweeney described Chase as a “monster” and claimed the Vacation star was “insulting.” everyone‘ when he returned to host SNL.

She went on to tell how the Holiday star was persuaded to go on a dressing mission to apologize for the tasteless AIDS joke, even though Sweeney thought she looked ‘angry at having to apologize to me’.

Sweeney also claimed in the oral history that Chase asked her to lick his testicles during the week he was on the show.

Sweeney also claimed that Chase asked him to lick his testicles and that he was “furious” when he had to apologize to Sweeney in the locker room; (From left) Jon Lovitz, Madonna, Sweeney and Randy Quaid appear on SNL in 1985

“None of this is true,” Chase said in an interview from the book. ‘I would remember… that I was angry, that I had to apologize to him. … My memory is that he lied, it’s my memory. ‘He’s not telling the truth’; In the picture I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not

However, Chase admits in the documentary that he suffered from memory loss caused by the health crisis in 2021, in which he was in a coma for eight days due to heart failure; Filmed in Dallas, Texas, April 2024

Sweeney, who often had to perform in drag or in skits that featured gay stereotypes, was unimpressed by claims that childhood abuse could explain Chase’s behavior. ‘Boooo… poor lousy boy… so that’s why he’s so rotten!!!!!!’ wrote; Photographed with Jon Lovitz, Madonna and Randy Quaid at SNL in 1985

“None of this is true,” Chase said in an interview from the book. ‘I would remember… that I was angry, that I had to apologize to him. …

‘My memory is that he lied, it is my memory. ‘He’s not telling the truth,’ Chase insisted. ‘That’s not me. This is not who I am. And if I’m like this, my life has changed, because now I have to live with this for the rest of my life.’

However, Chase admits in the documentary that he suffered from memory loss caused by the health crisis he experienced in 2021 and was in a coma for eight days due to heart failure.

“It just affects your memory,” Chase said in the documentary. ‘So I need to remind you of some things.

‘These are my first few last days at home. “Now I can say how happy I am to be back with my family, I’m proud,” he added.

Chase said he was in the hospital [for] ‘For five weeks,’ but he did not disclose at the time that he was in a coma after suffering heart failure.

while talking USA TodayIn his documentary, Zenovich opined on the potential impact of Chase’s stated memory problems on his repeated denials.

‘I think what happened played a big role in the memory loss,’ he said. ‘The circuits somehow stopped and started again and perhaps some things were lost. Especially the things you don’t want to remember.’

Elsewhere in the documentary, Chase looks back at how he was abused by his parents in his childhood, which is suggested as a possible reason why he had such tumultuous relationships with his collaborators.

But Sweeney was not impressed by these statements.

‘Boooo… poor lousy boy… so that’s why he’s so rotten!!!!!!’ wrote.