What happened to Michael Richards' career? 'Seinfeld' star spotted on rare outing 17 years after controversial downfall
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michael Richards, whose career essentially ended over a controversial 3-minute video was spotted enjoying a sunny day with his family, 17 years after his dramatic fall from grace and disappearance from public life.
Richards, who is best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the sitcom 'Seinfeld' was with his wife, Beth Skipp, and their son, Antonio, 13, as per The Sun.
They reportedly drove around in the family Porsche and stopped by a local park and an In-N-Out burger outlet. According to an eyewitness, they picked up their meal in the drive-thru and opted to eat in the car.
What did Michael Richards do?
Richard's fall from grace was brought about by his foul-mouthed tirade while performing a stand-up at LA's esteemed Laugh Factory in 2006, as per The Things.
During his furious rant, Richard made multiple mentions of the N-word.
Richards launched into a verbal tirade against several audiences of color during his performance.
Although the audience had disrupted his act, Richards not only issued threats to them but also repeatedly used racial slurs.
The entire incident was recorded on video, causing the story to rapidly circulate.
Richards has since apologized for the outburst and has not publicly performed standup after the incident.
When Jerry Seinfeld stood by Michael Richards' side
While 'Seinfeld' star Jerry Seinfeld, 69, stood by him and tried to keep his career going, Richards hasn't taken up any projects since 2019.
However, previously, Seinfeld had invited Richards to 'The David Letterman Show' after the incident, where he apologized and said the outburst was a "reality check."
Richards was also invited by Seinfeld to his show, 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee', in 2012, where the topic was brought up once more.
Michael told Jerry, "I busted up after that event seven years ago. It broke me down. It still kicks me around," to which Jerry replied, "That’s up to you, to say, ‘I’ve been carrying this bag long enough. I’m going to put it down.'"
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Michael Richards' was sued by a neighbor in 2021
Richards and his wife Skipp were sued by their Pacific Palisades neighbor Maxine Adams for allegedly cutting down "mature Brazilian Pepper Trees and underbrush" on her property, as per TMZ.
Adams claimed that the couple reportedly chopped down two of her 18-foot trees to "significantly enhance the value of their home as it would increase their view to the Pacific Ocean."
She thus sued them for $62,000, which was the amount it would take her to replant the trees, as well as an additional $200,000 for the loss of aesthetic value to the property.
The actor's home was reportedly valued at $8-10 million in 2021.