Former Saturday Night Live star Chris Redd opened up about his substance abuse issues and other shocking moments in a tearful social media confession.
Redd, 40, posted a lengthy message on Instagram, shedding tears as he revealed his previous addiction to pills and his relationship with former co-star and collaborator Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife. Redd revealed that not only did he have “pill problems,” but he also sold some to his SNL castmates.
“While I was at the show, I had some pill issues, you know, some pill problems,” Redd said. “Nothing too crazy, but crazy for my black a--. And I was even selling some to some of my castmates. I’m not gonna snitch on y’all motherf---ers man.”
He continued to say that he was hurt by how his castmates ignored his obvious struggle with drugs and how many would “just talk s--t” about him.
“I would hear them because, you know, some of that Adderall shit got you super hearing and s--t,” he said. “But [they] wouldn’t help me, you know. I would have panic attacks, [they] wouldn’t be concerned about me or nothing. Just would talk s--t.”
“It’s crazy how somebody would watch you destroy yourself,” he added. He went on to say that his partner, Christina Evangeline, was “the only one” to support him at this time.
Evangeline, who was married to Kenan Thompson for about a decade until their divorce in 2022, was “the only one to call me on my s--t, help me with my s--t, she helped me with my therapy journey, and she told me things about her life that made me look at a lot of people involved in it differently,” Redd said.
Redd became emotional as he discussed his relationship with Evangeline. His post—captioned “What have you sacrificed for love?”—came as the comedian said he intends to be “leading with a lot more openness.”
“I wanted to address something that’s kind of just, I guess, been around for a long time, about four, five years now, but, you know, I’ve never addressed it. I know a lot of people talk about me dating Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, and how that came to be. And I’m gonna just tell it to you straight,” he said.
He went on to say he appreciated his working relationship with Thompson and confessed that he hated the idea of hurting anybody. Redd said Thompson and he discussed the relationship, but that things changed after “everybody found out.”
“I really love everything me and Kenan did, bro. I really appreciated every piece of work we put together,” Redd said. “I think that we were a great team, and I hate doing something to somebody that I know would hurt them.”
“But,” he said, visibly emotional, “I did choose love.”
Since his post garnered hundreds of comments, Redd also clarified that he and Thompson’s ex-wife never had an affair. “Regardless of what you may feel about the situation, cheating was never the case,” Redd posted in the comments. “They weren’t together and had not been for years when we started.” He also thanked his supporters “for the love” he received after putting out his vulnerable message.
Redd joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player in 2017, and remained on the show for five seasons, until his exit in 2022. He co-starred in Kenan as Thompson’s character’s brother from 2021 to 2022.
In 2022, shortly after the comedian left SNL, he was the victim of a violent assault outside the Comedy Cellar in New York City. He previously spoke to the Daily Beast about the attack, clearing up the rumors surrounding the incident, and saying he was hit “in the face with something metal.” The assailant was allegedly unidentified. Redd briefly touched on the attack in his latest social media, but did not elaborate much beyond that.
Redd’s new comedy show, Caveat, is coming to New York City on Jan. 28. According to his Instagram post, the show will focus on love.
