Los Angeles – Comedian Michael Richards said Monday that he spewed racial epithets during a stand-up routine because he lost his cool while being heckled and not because he’s a bigot.
“For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this …, I’m deeply, deeply sorry,” the former “Seinfeld” co-star said during a satellite appearance for David Letterman’s “Late Show.”
“I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about this,” Richards said, his tone becoming angry and frustrated as he defended himself.
Richards described himself as going into “a rage” over two audience members who interrupted his act Friday at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, Calif. Rich ards responded to the black hecklers with repeated use of the “N-word” and profanities.
Jerry Seinfeld, who had issued a statement saying he was “sick over this horrible, horrible mistake” and calling it offensive, was scheduled as a Letterman guest Monday. He encouraged Richards to make a satellite appearance to talk about the incident, a CBS publicist said.
Richards, 57, who played Seinfeld’s eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom, hadn’t spoken publicly about his remarks before “Late Show.”
His onstage remarks were condemned by colleagues.
Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards’ performance, said he was shocked.
“Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don’t happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining,” Rodriguez told CNN. “Freedom of speech has its limitations, and I think Michael Richards found those limitations.”
The Laugh Factory tirade began after two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn’t funny. A videotape of the incident was posted on TMZ.com.
Richards retorted: “Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a (expletive) fork up your (expletive).”
He then paced across the stage taunting the men and peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.
While there is some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping, “Oh, my God,” and people respond with “ooh” after Rich ards uses the “N-word.”
Eventually, someone calls out: “It’s not funny. That’s why you’re a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. ‘Seinfeld,’ that’s it.”
On Monday, about a half-dozen activists gathered at the club to denounce Richards’ remarks.
At a news conference later, Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he’s sorry.
“This is one thing we don’t tolerate. … I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart,” Masada said Monday.
Richards did appear at the club Saturday without incident, but that was because he had told the club he intended to apologize, according to a Laugh Factory statement Monday.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” said Michael Levine, a veteran publicist for several comedians. “I think it’s a career ruiner for him.”
Comedian George Lopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards’ lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.
