Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Chris Redd is ready to be more open and vulnerable in 2026. He committed to the resolution by posting revelations about his “pill issues” and his relationship with comedian Kenan Thompson's ex-wife.
“I saw everything everyone said. Every thing everyone said, I saw it,” Redd said in an emotional Instagram video shared Tuesday.
The 40-year-old comedian, whose tenure on the NBC sketch series lasted from 2017 to 2022, spoke candidly about how his “pill issues” during his time on “SNL” led to his relationship with Thompson's ex-wife, Christina Evangeline, whom he did not name in his video. Redd explained in his video that the personal issues leading up to his departure in September 2022 were “a very unique and nuanced thing that happened.”
In addition to struggling with substance abuse, the “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” actor said in his video that he sold pills to other “SNL” cast members. He kept their identities hidden, assuring them that he wouldn't “snitch on them all.”
Redd, who said he suffered panic attacks behind the scenes, claimed his co-stars talked about him behind his back and showed no concern for his health. “It's crazy for someone to see you destroy yourself,” he said.
Evangeline, whom Redd simply called “this lady,” was the only person who encouraged him to seek treatment and therapy, he said. Their support and bond made them fall in love.
“I felt bad from the beginning,” Redd said, adding that the relationship was an “emotional double-edged sword” given her collaborations with Thompson, an Emmy winner from “SNL.”
He added: “I hate doing something to someone that I know would hurt them.”
Thompson filed for divorce from Evangeline in 2022 after more than a decade of marriage. They share two young daughters. That same year, Redd left “SNL” and the celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi published a blind article speculating about the circumstances of his departure. TMZ also reported on Redd and Evangeline's romance, noting that there was “no overlap or cheating” when the couple got together.
Redd said in his video that he chose love, even though it made him “look terrible to the people I love and a lot of my fans.” The comedian opened up about his therapy revelations (“I realized I'm more sad than angry”) and assured his followers that he doesn't feel “good” about dating Thompson's ex-wife. Still, he said, Evangeline was someone who made him “feel like I didn't know what love was and that I couldn't miss it.”
Although Redd acknowledged that there was probably another way to balance his friendship with Thompson and his relationship with Evangeline, he said, “I was in love and I was going crazy.”
Redd was known on “SNL” for his impressions of notable figures such as former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and rapper Kanye “Ye” West. In recent years, he has refocused on stand-up comedy and is promoting an upcoming project scheduled for January 28.
