Michael 'Kramer' Richard: The New Mel Gibson?
The 57-year-old actor-comedian, best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," was performing at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood Friday night when he went into the verbal rampage.
In a report first aired Sunday on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, the witness claims that a Friday night appearance by Richards at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory got ugly fast when Richards responded to hecklers by screaming at the audience shouting a racial slur repeatedly and clearly referencing lynching. The audience reacted angrily, and Richards walked off the stage.
It appears two guys, both African-American, were in the cheap seats playfully heckling Richards when suddenly, the comedian lost it. The camera started rolling just as Richards began his attack, screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass." Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf**ker. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger, look, there's a nigger!"
The crowd is visibly and audibly confused and upset. Richards responds by saying, "They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a nigger." One of the men who was the object of Richard's tirade was outraged, shouting back "That's un-f***ing called for, ain't necessary,"
Jerry Seinfeld has just issued this 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."
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