Michael Richards Opens Up About Racist Tirade At The Laugh Factory

Michael Richards would have gone down in pop culture history forever as Kramer, the zany neighbor on Seinfeld with a penchant for big entrances. But his racist meltdown a few years ago at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles changed that, painting him to many as a racist.

Richards made many attempts to publicly apologize (and Jerry Seinfeld helped during an interview with David Letterman a few days after the incident).

Now, after six years have passed, Michael Richards is ready to open old wounds, The Huffington Post reported. The actor and comedian is appearing on the season finale of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld’s web series, speaking candidly about the incident that tarnished his career.

An advanced look at the full episode reveals the emotional toll the incident took on Michael Richards and the shame it brought him, The Associated Press reported.

In the episode Richards says he let some heckling from the audience during his comedy set that night get under his skin too much.

“I busted up after that event… It broke me down,” Richards said. :It was a selfish response. I took it too personally.”

Richards goes on to say that he wishes instead of the racist tirade he just told the hecklers, “Yeah, you’re absolutely right. I’m not funny.”

Fans of his Kramer character and the wacky chemistry he shared with Jerry Seinfeld won’t be left disappointed, either.

Aside from the more serious, heartfelt moments, Jerry and Michael Richards get into some classic Seinfeld hijinks, like when Richards leads them to what he says is Sugar Ray Robinson’s house. He yells “Sugar!”, but it is quickly revealed that not only does Richards have no idea where Robinson lives, he has also led the to the house of comedian Jay Mohr.

“Being around you, Jerry, I’m going to turn into that crazy character,” says Richards, who later adds that he could have played the Kramer character “for the rest of my life.”

Michael Richards can be seen on the season finale of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.