Chevy Chase Claims John Belushi Stole His Cocaine Off the ‘SNL’ Stage: “I’m So Glad I Just Put That Stuff Aside”

Bill Maher spent an hour with ‘icon of icons’, Chevy Chase, for the latest episode of his Club random podcast, and from the sound of it, they seemed to be having a great time.

They spent most of the chat making jokes, matching wits, and howling with laughter as comedians are used to, while covering a range of topics, including showbiz legends Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson. circumcision, masturbation and why Maher chose not to have children.

Early on in the podcast, they discussed Chase’s work opposite Burt Reynolds in The last movie star, the latter’s last film before he passed away on September 6, 2018. “He died during the film,” Chase noted of the Adam Rifkin film. “Then I learned what a great actor he is.”

Maher then said that Reynolds and Chase share a trait he sees in actors like Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, and Cary Grant, because they’re talents that can play against type because they’re “the handsome guy, but you act like the man that’s not the handsome man, that’s like you’ve got them coming and going now. Warren Beatty did it.”

The mention of Grant’s name prompted Chase to remember his appearance on Tom Snyder’s NBC talk show Tomorrow in 1980 when he claimed Grant was gay. “[Tom] said, ‘People say you’re going to be the next Cary Grant’, and I said, ‘That’s crazy, there’s no one like Cary Grant and there’ll never be another Cary Grant and I understand he was gay’ chase. Maher’s appearance, in which he also said “what a gal” about Grant. “It was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever said.”

It was also expensive. Grant immediately filed a defamation lawsuit against Chase for $10 million. The case was reportedly settled out of court and while neither side has commented on the financial details, reports claim Chase made more than $1 million.

“By the way, I don’t think Cary was gay. Do you think he was?” Chase adds, questioning Maher about his take on the late legend’s sexuality. Maher responds: “Cary Grant, I think he was half of… I’m going to say this, I think he had a cock in his ass at some point in his life, that’s a guess, but he’s just too handsome not to, that’s my theory.”

Later in the chat they cover up a bit of Chase’s time Saturday Night Live, name a few of his famous co-stars on the iconic sketch comedy series. Because Chase will star opposite Dan Aykroyd in the upcoming movie Zombie Citythey briefly touch the latter, someone who Chase “the resident genius” of . calls SNL.

“I remember Dan having a painting he was talking about, like he was a museum guy or something,” Chase recalls. ‘And he discusses the finer points of the painting. There’s a naked woman in it and he never talks about it, but that’s all we look at. It’s just perfect Dan.”

Chase then goes on to talk about the late John Belushi and claims he got a vial of his cocaine from the SNL phase.

“I remember John and his damn drug problem, but cocaine was the big drug back then. It was clear that John was a coke but I had a small jar of cocaine with a spoon attached,” he reveals. “Anyway, I had it on the piano of the stage. So I just play the piano, the audience isn’t there yet, and it just sits. After I’ve played a little bit, it’s gone. I had no idea how. It was obvious I was looking at my hands the moment John ducked in and grabbed it. So I immediately said, ‘Belushi, did you take my Coke?’ ‘No, what are you talking about?’”

A month later, he says, “I’ve been invited to dinner at John and Judy’s apartment and I see my bottle empty and washed, just sitting on a shelf by the books.” He then goes on to say that he gave up his habit: “I’m so glad I just put that stuff aside.” [In a 2018 profile in The Washington Post, Chase opened up about his past substance use and how he eventually found sobriety.]

Seconds later, another serious moment of conversation comes as Chase explains what happened when Belushi died of an overdose on March 5, 1982.

“That morning Jayni, my wife and I were at our house and there was a knock on the door and I opened the door and there were, like, 12 news people,” he says. “What do you think of John’s death?” I didn’t know that John Belushi died. It just shocked me. There I was stuck with these people. … What a horrible thing. And when John Candy died. John Candy was not a drug user. Those were two of my best friends who died that I felt really terrible about.”

The Chase conversation is now streaming for Club Random with Bill Maher subscribers, and will be widely available this Sunday.