Ever since his fall from grace following a racist incident involving a Black fan, Michael Richards, who played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998, has been in hiding. However, he was recently spotted in Los Angeles, California, and former fans could not help but notice that he looked completely different. With an unkempt white beard and yellowed teeth, the former comedian was seen relaxing in the trunk of his car after spending a day outdoors walking and biking.
At the age of 70, Richards was spotted sitting comfortably in his car with his feet up, taking a break from the race riots and the coronavirus pandemic that the rest of the country is dealing with. Despite his fall from grace, Richards is still worth an estimated $45 million.
Since his highly publicized racist rant in 2006, Richards has chosen to stay away from the limelight. Although he had apologized for his outburst towards a Black fan, he has mostly kept himself out of public view. However, Richards did open up about his racist rant when he was invited onto Seinfeld’s new show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in 2012.
During the interview, Richards admitted to his former co-star Jerry Seinfeld that the incident still haunted him. He said, “It broke me down.” In the disturbing footage captured in November 2006, Richards can be seen yelling racial slurs at a heckler during his standup comedy routine at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. The incident severely impacted his career, making it nearly impossible for him to find work.
Reflecting on that regretful night, Richards told Seinfeld, “That’s a lesson I learned… when I blew it in the comedy club. I lost my temper because somebody interrupted my act and said some things that hurt me, and I lashed out in anger.” He admitted that he should have handled the situation differently, with more selflessness and professionalism.
Seinfeld, who publicly supported Richards, thanked him on the show and acknowledged the impact it had on him. Despite the years out of the national spotlight, the question remains: What do you think about Michael Richards’s appearance today?
