Chevy Chase receives apology from comedy writer

U.S. comedy writer Dan Harmon has apologised to Chevy Chase for going public with a foul-mouthed voicemail the funnyman left for him.

The creator of Chase's comedy show Community played the tape for an audience of at a Los Angeles comedy club, revealing, "I was airing my dirty laundry for a chuckle".

In the voicemail, Chase took aim at Harmon, insisting the show is suffering due to his "bad writing".

The Spies Like Us star and the writer have reportedly been locked in a bitter feud on and off the set ever since the comedy premiered in 2009, and Chase finally snapped when the writer allegedly led the cast and crew in a 'f**k you' chant during a recent wrap party, at which the comedian's wife and daughter were present.

In the voicemail, Chase can be heard saying, "I don't get talked to like that by anybody, certainly not in front of my wife and daughter, you god damn a**hole, alcoholic, fat s**t. You're gonna live to be about 57 if you're lucky, the way you eat. I have nothing to say to you except, you can suck my c**k."

Now, Harmon accepts he was wrong to release the audio, calling himself a "selfish baby and a rude a**hole" for playing it.

In a statement posted on his blog, Harmon writes, "The giant mistake I made was involving someone else in that game of russian roulette, someone that didn’t have an opportunity to say 'yeah, hilarious, let’s do this.'

"That was a dumb, unclassy, inconsiderate move on my part. I’m very sorry it’s reflecting poorly on the show.

"Thirty people a day calling me an a**hole makes me know and feel, in my heart, that I am an a**hole."