On Tuesday, Seinfeld actor and comedian Michael Richards visited the Today Show to give his first TV interview in “many, many years,” as Hoda Kotb put it. Kotb asked Richards about his new memoir, Entrances and Exits, which trades in Seinfeld gossip but largely revolves around the egregious racist offense committed by Richards when he was filmed screaming the “N-word” at a heckler at the Laugh Factory in 2006.
“We should just get this part, I think, out of the way,” Kotb began, “because the reason that you have been out of the spotlight was because of something that happened back in 2006, and it happened at a comedy club.”
While she spoke, Richards squeezed his eyes shut. “They called it a big racist rant, which it was, and you sort of disappeared from that point on,” Kotb continued, proceeding to ask Richards how he’d changed since his racist outburst.
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“Probably more aware of myself,” Richards said. “Anger. Looking at it very closely.” His anger “is not as horrible as it was 18 years ago. Anger had a hold of me.”
“I canceled myself out,” Richards said. “Take an exodus. Get away from show business and see what the heck is going on inside me to have been so despicable that night, losing my cool and hurting people.”
Nevertheless, in 2009 Richards guest starred as himself on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and also appeared on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee in 2012.
Two weeks ago, Richards told People that his anger and insecurities stem from being raised by a single mother who had wanted an abortion, but the procedure was too dangerous to obtain at the time.
Has Richards made amends for his actions? Kotb asked. “I think so,” he said. “Certainly getting to a place where I could forgive myself because I have to move on and be true blue about that.”
