Summary
- Michael Richards breaks silence on his racist tirade, denies intent of being a racist during stand-up incident.
- Despite false rumors, the Seinfeld star is not planning a comeback, but has released a memoir titled Entrances and Exits.
- Actor Michael Richards opens up about his stage 1 prostate cancer diagnosis and successful treatment plan, focusing on healing and learning.
Michael Richards is a distinguished actor best known for his iconic character Cosmo Kramer in the hit TV series Seinfeld. The beloved sitcom was created by comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld and aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998. Thanks to its originality, creativity, and lovable characters, Seinfeld remains a favorite with fans. It also doesn't hurt that it has rarely been off the air thanks to rerun episodes aired on platforms like Netflix and channels like TBS.
Given Richards' legendary TV status and massive wealth, fans might be surprised that, after an 18-year absence, he's rumored to be looking to give up a luxurious life away from the cameras to make a return to Hollywood. But before Michael Richards returns to the spotlight again, the reclusive actor is speaking out to defend himself about the most major controversy of his career as well as a shocking health diagnosis.
Michael Richards Denies He's Racist
The NBC original comedy series Seinfeld, a cultural phenomenon, starred Jerry Seinfeld as the title character, Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, and Michael Richards as Kramer. The show, which ran for nine seasons before its triumphant end in 1998, was a massive hit, catapulting the foursome into stardom and cementing its status as a TV legend. On this show, Richards' career peaked, and his portrayal of Kramer remains a beloved part of TV history.
On a high note, Richards' career took a drastic turn in 2006 after an unfortunate incident during one of his stand-up comedy shows. As he performed at the Laugh Factory, a group of hecklers ridiculed the Seinfeld alum, leading to an adverse reaction from Richards. The incident, captured on camera, made headlines, shocking the public with the revelation that Richards had used a racial slur towards a particularly rowdy heckler.
Now, 18 years later, Michael Richards is speaking out about the racist tirade that nearly destroyed his image and career and caused him to withdraw from Hollywood.
In a recent interview with People Magazine, Richards stated,
I'm not racist. I have nothing against Black people. The man who told me I wasn't funny had just said what I'd been saying to myself for a while. I felt put down. I wanted to put him down. My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a force. But it happened. Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn't been easy. Crisis managers wanted me to do damage control. But as far as I was concerned, the damage was inside of me.
Michael Richards Denies He's Making A Comeback And Reveals Cancer Battle
As Michael Richards seeks to clear the air about his 'racist' rant nearly 18 years ago, at the same time, he's denying that he has plans to make a comeback into the comedy world. Instead, the 74-year-old actor announced that he has a memoir titled Entrances and Exits, which was released on June 4.
In the memoir, Richards expands upon the racist allegations that forced him, he says, to confront his demons and hide away from the world. He also speaks about his time as a lonely child growing up with a single mother and his challenges as he navigated the uncertain world of comedy.
"[I'm] learning and healing. Healing and learning," said Richards to People Magazine, "But life is always an up and a down. I continue to work through the day and the night, the light and the dark that I am."
In addition to everything else the comedian has had to face, Richards' interview with People Magazine is making headlines again as the former Seinfeld alum revealed his shocking health scare.
Michael Richards revealed that in 2018, he was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer, for which he is now in remission. Richards told People Magazine, "I thought, 'Well, this is my time. I'm ready to go. But then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying, "I've got a 9-year-old and I'd like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?"
He added, "It had to be contained quickly. I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been d*ad in about eight months."
