Chris Redd, the comedian best known for his five-season run on Saturday Night Live (SNL), has finally broken his silence about the tangled web of romance, addiction, and friendship that has captivated fans and tabloids alike. In an emotional Instagram video posted on January 6, 2026, Redd opened up about his relationship with Christina Evangeline, the ex-wife of his former SNL castmate Kenan Thompson, offering a raw look into the personal struggles and complicated loyalties that unfolded behind the scenes of the iconic sketch show.
“Every single thing that everybody said, I saw it, and bottom line is, I’m not that type of person to scheme on a person,” Redd, 40, declared in the video, addressing months of speculation and online rumors about the origins of his romance with Evangeline. According to E! News, Redd insisted, “I’m not the type of person to even date somebody that like, one of my homies has dated. This is a very unique, nuanced thing that happened.”
Redd’s candor didn’t stop there. He admitted that during his years on SNL, from 2017 to 2022, he grappled with addiction. “While I was at the show, I had some pill issues,” he confessed. “I had some pill problems, nothing too crazy but crazy for my Black ass. I was even selling some to people, some of my castmates.” Though he refrained from naming names—joking that “none of my peers had to worry about me snitching”—he did express disappointment that his colleagues failed to support him during his darkest moments. “I would have panic attacks, [and people] wouldn’t be concerned about me or nothing, would just talk s--t,” Redd recalled. “And it was crazy how somebody would watch you destroy yourself.”
It was during this period of isolation and struggle that Christina Evangeline entered his life in a new way. Evangeline, who was married to Kenan Thompson from 2011 until June 2022, became a lifeline. “This lady was the only one to call me on my s--t, help me with my s--t,” Redd explained through tears. “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. And in that time, we fell in love.”
Falling for his friend’s estranged wife was, by Redd’s own admission, fraught with guilt and emotional turmoil. “It’s always felt like an emotional double-edged sword for me, because I really love everything me and Kenan did, bro. I really appreciated every piece of work that we put together, I think that we were a great team, and I hate doing something to somebody that I know would hurt them,” he said, as reported by HuffPost. “I don’t feel player for this s--t at all, but I did choose love.”
For months, the question of whether Thompson was blindsided by the relationship hung in the air. Redd clarified that he and Thompson did, in fact, have a conversation about the budding romance. “We were cool and we continued to work for a year after we talked about it,” Redd shared. They agreed to “just keep this s--t under wraps.” But as soon as the relationship became public knowledge in 2022, “s--t changed.” By that point, Redd had already left SNL, his departure coinciding with the media storm that followed the revelation.
According to HuffPost, Evangeline and Thompson’s marriage ended in the spring of 2022 after about a decade together. The former couple shares two daughters, Georgia and Gianna. The timeline of Redd and Evangeline’s relationship remains somewhat murky, but Redd’s comments strongly suggest their romance began before his official exit from SNL, making the situation all the more complicated given his professional and personal bond with Thompson.
Redd’s Instagram confession was not just about clearing the air regarding his relationship; it was also a moment of vulnerability about his journey through addiction and loneliness. “I don’t feel like a pimp,” he said. “I don’t feel cool about this at all, besides the fact that I found someone that makes me feel like I didn’t even know what love was for real. And I just feel like I couldn’t miss out on it.”
The emotional fallout from going public was immediate and, at times, physical. Redd recounted being punched in the face outside The Comedy Cellar in New York City in October 2022—a moment he interpreted as karmic retribution for the pain caused by the situation. “Most people who know me from back home would know that I would be retaliating in a heartbeat, but not this time,” he reflected. “This time it felt fair. Fair enough.”
Despite the regret and remorse, Redd emphasized that his connection with Evangeline was worth the turmoil. “To all the fans I disappointed, just know this was not something—I don’t feel like a pimp. I don’t feel cool about this at all, besides the fact that I found someone that makes me feel like I didn’t even know what love was for real. And I just feel like I couldn’t miss out on it,” he said. “It felt like a love I couldn’t miss out on and I had to shoot for it.”
The saga has left Thompson, for his part, mostly silent. As HuffPost noted, Thompson has avoided discussing the details of his divorce or the subsequent developments, preferring to keep his perspective private. When asked on NBC’s Today why he didn’t address the breakup in his 2023 memoir, Thompson replied that he avoided topics that would require him “to speak out of turn on people who aren’t there to tell their version of the story.”
For Redd, the process of coming clean—both about his addiction and his relationship—marks a new chapter. He announced a January 28 comedy show in New York, promising fans more honesty and vulnerability, especially about his experiences with love and loss. “Fans can expect to hear more about his personal relationships in the show, which is about ‘love,’” HuffPost reported.
In the end, Redd’s story is one of messy humanity: addiction, friendship, heartbreak, and the pursuit of love, all played out under the unforgiving spotlight of fame. His willingness to lay bare his flaws and regrets offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the complicated lives behind the laughter on SNL’s legendary stage.