It seems like a long time ago.
Chevy Chase was spotted packing on the PDA with wife Jani Chase at the 40th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Thursday night.
Wearing a pink button-down shirt, jeans, a gray blazer, and a hat, Chase squirted some smooch on her lips and gently cradled her face.
Wearing a Lilly Pulitzer dress with a white shawl and matching sandals, the author leaned into Chase and put her hand on his arm as they kissed.
Chevy, 82, and Jani, 68, were attending a screening of the documentary “I Am Chevy Chase, You Are Not” at Saber Cinema.
The comedian, who married his wife in 1982, appeared on the red carpet in a wheelchair, but once he was in the wheelchair, he stopped assisting her.
Chevrolet’s manager explained to the Daily Mail in December 2023 that the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” star only uses a wheelchair when he has to travel frequently.
In the documentary, which first aired on CNN on January 1, Chevrolet and his loved ones opened up about his 2021 hospitalization for a heart condition.
“Something was wrong, but he couldn’t explain to me what was wrong. So we went to the ER and his heart stopped,” explained Jani, who shares Chevy with daughters Sydney, Kaylee and Emily.
“During that time, he was drinking so much that he developed cardiomyopathy. When the heart muscle weakens, it can’t pump as much blood with each heartbeat.”
Peter Aaron, one of Chevrolet’s longtime friends, also revealed in the document that doctors decided to put Chevrolet “in a coma for probably eight days.”
After the incident, the “SNL” alum admitted he was “okay now,” but spent five weeks in the hospital.
“This is my first few days back home. All I can say is I’m really happy to be back with my family. I feel great,” Chevrolet told Page Six at the time, adding that it was a heart issue.
“So, for now, I’m just staying around the house. I’m not going anywhere. I used to go out and do everything, like slapstick in front of 3,000 people. But at this point, I don’t have to go out and meet COVID.”
But this wasn’t the first time Chevrolet’s health has made headlines.
In 2018, the Washington Post revealed that Chevrolet had been diagnosed with alcohol cardiomyopathy. Alcohol cardiomyopathy is a condition in which excessive drinking causes weakening of the heart muscle.
The paper reported that the actor had gotten sober “18 months” before publication, after going out on his porch and taking “one last sip from a bottle of vodka” before deciding to quit.
Chevrolet’s past struggles are featured in “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” now available to stream on HBO and all CNN streaming services.
