Former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Redd claimed in a new video that he sold pills to his castmates.
Redd, 40, appeared as a cast member for five seasons from 2017, making his debut alongside Heidi Gardner in season 43 before bowing out of the show ahead of season 48 in 2022.
In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday, January 6, the comedian explained that he is going to be “leading with a lot more vulnerability and openness” in his work and life going forward, prompting him to confess his side hustle while on SNL.
“While I was at the show, I had some pill issues, I had some pill problems,” he said. “Nothing too crazy, but crazy for my Black ass, you know? I was even selling some to some of my castmates. I’m not gonna snitch on y’all motherf***ers, man.”
Former ‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars: Where Are They Now?
Redd said he felt hurt that people on the show “would talk s***” about him while he was struggling with a pill addiction instead of supporting him.
“I would hear them because, you know, some of that Adderall s*** got you super hearing and s***,” 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***. It’s crazy how somebody would watch you destroy yourself, you know.”
Redd left SNL in September 2022 ahead of the show’s 48th season, around the same time news emerged that he was dating costar Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, Christina Evangeline.
“Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime,” Redd said in a statement at the time. “Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth. Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”
Steve Martin, Kate McKinnon and More of SNL’s Most Successful Cast Members
That same month, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that “Christina and Chris started dating the beginning of this year,” adding that Evangeline and Redd met “before [Chris] started doing SNL” and had been friends for years.
“They’ve always been very close. He was there for her last year through some of the hardest times of her life. … She seems to be the happiest she’s ever been. Her relationship with Chris is great and it’s normal,” the source said.
Redd also addressed his relationship with Evangeline in Tuesday’s Instagram video. Redd said Evangeline, 36, helped him with his addiction issues while he was on SNL, adding, “In that time, we fell in love.”
Redd said Evangeline was “the only one to call me on my s***, help me with my s***, 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.”
“I felt bad from the start. It’s always felt like an emotional double-edged sword for me, because I really love everything me and Kenan did, bro,” Redd, who also starred on Thompson’s NBC sitcom, Kenan, added. “I really appreciated every piece of work we put together, I think that we were a great team, and I hate doing something to somebody that I know would hurt them.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
