Comedian Chevy Chase is candidly reflecting on the painful experiences of his childhood in a new CNN documentary that delves into his life, career, and personal challenges.

In the film titled I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which debuted on January 1, Chase shares allegations of enduring physical abuse during his childhood at the hands of his mother and stepfather. Through interviews with Chase and those who know him best, the documentary reveals a turbulent home life characterized by violence, fear, and instability. It includes claims of being beaten, confined to a closet, and subjected to harsh awakenings through physical punishment.

Chase recounts that his parents separated when he was about 4 years old, each eventually remarrying. He describes his stepfather, John Cederquist, as lacking humor. His stepbrother, also named John Cederquist, remembers their father’s explosive temper, noting, “My father could erupt with a single blow… He would not tolerate anything he saw as insolence, and Chevy was often insolent.”

Chase’s wife, Jayni, shares an early incident from their relationship that highlighted his past trauma. She recalls that the first time she stayed overnight, he “shuddered” when she woke him. “He explained, ‘My mother would wake me up by slapping me.’ Even as a young child, he would be jolted awake in this way,” she recounted.

The documentary offers a complex depiction of Chase’s mother, Cathalene Browning, describing her as “a bag of cats, likely on the schizoid spectrum,” adding more depth to the challenges Chase faced growing up.

“This was an out-of-control woman who I look back on and I say I feel sorry for her,” Chase said. “She had her own issues — bad ones. But, she was physically abusive to me.”

Others close to Chase echo those accounts. Friend Peter Aaron said the comedian shared stories about the “terrible things that would happen to him as a young man — things like being locked in the closet.” Chase’s brother, Ned, added, “There was a cellar, and he was sent down there because of really messing up in school.”

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Chase also referenced corporal punishment, alluding to being “slapped with a yardstick on your bare ass and on the backs of your legs until they’re so bruised that somebody else notices.”

Chase explains that punishment often followed poor grades — grades he believes were affected by the abuse itself. “Whereas others would concentrate on their homework, I didn’t have a chance at that,” he said. “I was always worried about one thing or another that had to do with my own health.”

He also recalls a moment when his brother intervened during a violent encounter at the breakfast table. Chase said his stepfather came downstairs “and started slapping me across the back of the head.” Ned remembered standing up and objecting: “I stood up and made it clear I didn’t think this was a time for corporal punishment. And John Cederquist sat down, and I sat down.”

“I knew at that time that Ned was there for me,” Chase said. “That was a big moment for us.”

When director Marina Zenovich asks whether Chase ever fully walked away from his mother and stepfather, Chase responds with a familiar dose of deflection — pretending to swat a fly from his forehead and licking his fingers. “Sorry?” he asks, half-smiling.

The film ultimately explores how those early experiences shaped Chase’s public persona, with family members suggesting comedy became both a shield and a survival tactic. His youngest daughter, Emily Chase, describes humor as a constant coping mechanism. “It shaped him. He used comedy, he used humor as a way to mask what was going on inside. And that’s continued. It continues to this day,” she said. “He will joke around from morning until night, and you won’t know what’s going on. … That’s how he always dealt with problems in his life.”

I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is now streaming on CNN’s platforms.