Seinfeld Star Launches Into Angry Tirade At Comedy Club
Posted November 20, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Michael Richards, the actor-comedian famous for playing the character of Jerry Seinfeld’s wacky neighbour on the sitcom Seinfeld, flew into a profanity-filled rage at a Laugh Factory comedy club Friday night after two black audience members yelled out that he wasn’t funny.
A video from the West Hollywood show, posted on the entertainment website TMZ.com, shows the lengthy tirade from the comedian and employs subtitles to capture the verbal spat with the audience members.
At one point, Richards shouted at his tormentors: “Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f—— fork up your a–.”
He proceeded to taunt the men for interrupting the show, swearing and using racial epithets.
“You can talk, you can talk, you’re brave now mother——. Throw his a– out. He’s a n—–,” Richards yelled.
The slur prompted gasps and shouts from the audience, especially when the 57-year-old continued to repeat it. After several minutes it appeared that much of the crowd had decided to leave.
Richards, who hasn’t managed to recapture the success he enjoyed as one of Seinfeld’s TV sidekicks, performed at the club the next night without incident.
Calls to his representatives weren’t returned. Though he wouldn’t comment on camera when approached by a US network, it was reported he’d said off-camera that he felt sorry for what had happened.
That doesn’t placate those who heard what he said.
“Even if he found those particular guys that he offended, he offended everyone that was in that club that night,” points out Darryl Pitts, who’s black. “So he didn’t make amends to me and that’s not something that I can forget or forgive.”
Veteran comedians like Paul Rodriguez also believe Richards went too far. “Freedom of speech has its limitations, and I think Michael Richards found those limitations,” he suggests.
“Once the word n—– comes out of your mouth, you don’t have to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining to do.”
Richards later went on David Letterman to publicly apologize for his actions.
“I am not a racist. That is what is so insane about this,” he told the audience.
“I lost my temper on stage. I was at the comedy club trying to do my act and I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage. For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, you know, I am deeply, deeply sorry.”
“He deserves a chance to apologize, and that’s all he wanted,” Jerry Seinfeld told the talk show host.
The titular star of the Seinfeld series had earlier issued a statement saying was sickened by the extremely offensive comments, calling them a “horrible, horrible mistake.”
And as Mel Gibson found out, it may be a mistake that can never really be corrected.
To see the video, click here.
Jerry Seinfeld Statement
“I am sick over this. I’m sure Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake. It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt.”
