Michael Richards yells ‘n’ word at hecklers, Former 'Seinfeld' star racial rant

Michael Richards yells ‘n’ word at hecklers
Former 'Seinfeld' star unleashed expletive-laden tirade during comedy act

The Associated Press
Updated: 11:20 a.m. ET Nov 20, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Michael Richards stunned a comedy club audience, shouting racial epithets at people who heckled him during a stand-up routine.

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 launched into the verbal rampage, according to video posted on TMZ.com.

The tirade apparently began after two black audience members started shouting at him that he wasn't funny.

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 for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now [expletive]. Throw his [expletive] out. He's a n-----!" Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

While there is some audible chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" and various people "0oh" after Richard uses the n-word.

Richards performed the next night at the Laugh Factory without incident.

Calls to Richards' representatives were not immediately returned early Monday.

He refused to comment on-camera when reached by CNN, but the network reported that he said off-camera he felt sorry for what had happened and had made amends.

I heard about this on Opie and Anthony this morning. He had no right to use such language.

What pisses me off the most is how he was able to perform the next day at the same place without a hitch..

had it have been any other racial group saying that about whites you know damn well they would not have had that same opportunity.

I'm just surprised the hecklers didn't report to the popo and call it a hate crime.

If they did, then Richards' lawyer would have brought a lawsuit for allegedly violating his first amendment right..

Despite the fact he used the n word. That still ain't right but I guess that's the way our country's run nowadays.

nowadays? honey, this has been goin on for the longest time. But it seems like nobody wants 2 do anythin bout it because they think it's "just words", and that "Sticks and stones...."bullcrap. words hurt! and they hurt in a way that physical pain cant compare.

Words like that only have power if we give them that power..

As pointed out in this topic.. http://ffsx.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=1546

Granted, Richards' shouldn't have used that word, but is it any different than what they call their friends, or what you see and hear in a rap or hip hop video?

I think the whole controversy lies in the fact that not only was he an actor on Seinfeld, the least racist show I could possibly think of, but the fact that he was just a crazy cracker who snapped.