Seinfeld star Richards ‘sorry’ for racist tirade

THE actor who played eccentric neighbour Kramer in the hit TV series Seinfeld has apologised after launching a tirade of racial slurs at two black hecklers during a stand-up routine.

Michael Richards said he was “deeply sorry” about the barrage of “crap” at West Hollywood’s Laugh Factory, but denied he was a racist.

His outburst night reportedly began after the audience members shouted that he was not funny.

A video posted on entertainment news website TMZ.com showed the 57-year-old comedian yelling at them: “Shut up. Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f**king fork up your ass.”

Gasps are heard from the crowd as he then paced across the stage swearing and repeatedly using a racially offensive name.

“You can talk, you can talk, you’re brave now motherf**ker,” Mr Richards shouted.

“Throw his ass out. He’s a n****r.”

He then repeated the slur over and over.

Mr Richards told David Letterman’s Late Show: “For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I’m deeply, deeply sorry.”

He added: “I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about this.”

“I was trying to do my act and I got heckled,” Mr Richards said.

“I took it badly and went into a rage and said some pretty nasty things to some Afro-Americans.

“I’m really busted up over this. I’m very, very sorry to those people in the audience.”

Jerry Seinfeld issued a statement saying he was “sick over this horrible, horrible mistake”.