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‘Seinfeld’ star Michael Richards: I yelled racist remarks because heckler said I wasn’t funny

  2024-06-06 pagesixNicki Gostin31610
Introduction

“Seinfeld” star Michael Richards obliquely opens up about his notorious racist tirade in his upcoming memoir, “Entrances

‘Seinfeld’ star Michael Richards: I yelled racist remarks because heckler said I wasn’t funny

“Seinfeld” star Michael Richards obliquely opens up about his notorious racist tirade in his upcoming memoir, “Entrances and Exits.”

The 74-year-old, who played Kramer, lashed out — unleashing a stream of racial slurs — at a comedy club audience that heckled him in 2006.

Richards writes that he was still smarting from the failure of his post-“Seinfeld” sitcom “The Michael Richards Show,” which lasted only eight episodes in 2000 — despite there being six years between the series’ cancellation and the incident at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.

The comedian writes that, during his set, he heard talking coming from the balcony and yelled “Shut the f–k up!” to the delight of the audience.

Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer, Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander as George Costanza in
“Seinfeld” star Michael Richards (left, with Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander) write in his memoir “Entrances and Exits” about the 2006 incident in which he called a heckler at the Laugh Factory the n-word. NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Michael Richards doing standup.
Richards launched into a racist tirade while performing in 2006.

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Michael Richards book cover for
The comedian’s memoir, “Entrances and Exits,” is out June 4

He then heard someone from the balcony call out: “‘You’re not funny. We don’t think you’re very funny!'”

Richards writes that he took the remark “pretty hard. A solid punch below the belt.”

Although he does not detail what he said in the book, video from the night shows him saying, “Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f–king fork up your ass” and calling one of the hecklers the n-word.

“Of course, looking back at all, I wish I had just agreed with him,” Richards writes of the audience member.

Michael Richards holding an Emmy and an envelope revealing his name as winner
Richards won three Emmys playing Cosmo Kramer on “Seinfeld” AFP via Getty Images

“He went low and I went even lower,” he writes. “We both ended up at the bottom of the barrel.”

The Emmy winner shares that, after the shocking incident the words “You’re not funny” kept running through his mind.

“He laid it out so clearly, so simply, my biggest fear — not being funny,” he writes. “Later, I’ll come to realize that all of this, everything he said, is me. His voice is my voice. This is all ME going on. My inferiority sets in. My anger erupts.”

Michael Richards, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander in a cast photo for
Richards (left) writes that his “Seinfeld” cast mates Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander reached out after his tirade. AFP via Getty Images
Michael Richards on a red carpet
The Emmy winner writes that he was “embarrassed” after the incident. FilmMagic

After footage of the incident began to circulate three days later, the comedian appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman” to apologize.

Richards writes that his “Seinfeld” cast mates Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus all reach out but he was “embarrassed” and “concerned about the mess spilling onto them.”

He declined any interviews at the time and, on the advice of actress Frances Fisher, retreated to Mexico for several weeks of soul-searching. Richards and his girlfriend also visited Cambodia, India and Thailand, seemingly on a spiritual quest.

Michael Richards waving
Richards went on a spiritual journey to Mexico, Cambodia, India and Thailand after apologizing for the racist outburst. Getty Images

The actor confesses that he has “some regrets” but believes in the “continuity of the Soul, writing that “screwups in life are necessary …

Richards made a rare red-carpet appearance with his old cast mate Jerry Seinfeld at the premiere of the latter’s movie “Unfrosted.”

(By/Nicki Gostin)
 
 
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