Former “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Redd tearfully revealed that he sold drugs to his fellow castmates as he opened up about dating co-star Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife.
In a raw, extended confessional post on Instagram Tuesday, the 40-year-old comedian said he was embracing vulnerability in the new year, confessing that he was dealing with “pill problems and issues” during his five-season run on NBC’s hit sketch comedy show.
“Nothing too crazy, but crazy for my black ass,” Redd said. “I was even selling some to the people, to some of my castmates. I’m not gonna snitch on y’all motherf–kers man.”
“Bottom line is, while I was at the show, I had some pill issues, I got some pill problems — nothing too crazy, but crazy for my Black ass, you know?” he shared.
Redd said his struggles were compounded by what he described as a lack of support from co-stars, claiming he overheard other cast members talking “sh-t” about him instead of offering help.
“They wouldn’t help me,” Redd claimed. “I would have panic attacks, wouldn’t be concerned about me or nothing. Just would talk shit. It’s crazy how somebody would watch you destroy yourself.”
During that period, Thompson’s ex-wife, Christina Evangeline, became a source of tough honesty and emotional support, Redd said.
Thompson filed for divorce from Evangeline in June 2022 after more than a decade of marriage, and Redd began dating her months later in September.
In 2022, Page Six reported that the pair had been living separate lives since 2019 and that there was no overlap in relationships.
“I know everybody talks about me dating Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife and how that came to be, and I’m gonna just tell it to you straight,” Redd said.
The comic insisted he never pursued Evangeline while she was married to Thompson and said “there wasn’t a plan,” adding that everything was “all cool” before things “got crazy.”
“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 differently,” he said. “And in that time, we fell in love.”
Redd said the situation made him feel “bad from the start,” describing it as an “emotional double-edged sword.”
“I really love everything me and Kenan did, bro. I really appreciated every piece of work we put together,” he said. “I think that we were a great team, and I hate doing something to somebody that I know would hurt them.”
“I don’t feel player for this s–t at all. But I did choose love,” Redd said.
Redd claimed he and Thompson discussed the relationship and agreed to keep it private, but said things shifted after about a year when “everybody found out.”
“But I was in love, and I was spiraling out,” he added. “By the time everybody found out — the world found out — I was out of there, SNL, you know?”
Redd joined “Saturday Night Live” as a featured player in 2017 and spent five seasons on the show before departing in 2022, ahead of its 48th season. He also appeared on Thompson’s self-titled sitcom, “Kenan,” in 2021 before it was canceled after two seasons.
