BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. well-known comedian Michael Richards said Monday he spewed racial epithets during a stand-up comedy routine because he lost his cool while being heckled and not because he's a bigot.
"For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry," the former "Seinfeld" co-star said during a satellite appearance for David Letterman's "Late Show."
"I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this," Richards said, his tone becoming angry and frustrated as he defended himself. A clip from the show played on CBS before "Late Show" aired Monday night.
Richards described himself as going into "a rage" over the two audience members who interrupted his act Friday at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Richards responded to the black hecklers with repeated use of the "n word" and profanities.
Jerry Seinfeld, who had issued a statement saying he was "sick over this horrible, horrible mistake" and calling it offensive, was scheduled as a Letterman guest Monday. He encouraged Richards to make a satellite appearance to talk about the incident, a CBS publicist said.
Richards, 57, who played Seinfeld's eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom and whose major credit since was a failed 2000 comedy, hadn't spoken publicly about his remarks before "Late Show."
His on-stage remarks were condemned by industry colleagues.
Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards' performance, said he was shocked.
"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining," Rodriguez told CNN. "Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."
His Laugh Factory tirade began after the two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn't funny.
A vedio show goes: Richards retorted: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f------ fork up your a--."
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 mother------. Throw his a-- out. He's a n-----!" Richards shouted before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.
Moderating his tone at one point, Richards told the audience, "It shocks you, it shocks you" and referred to "what lays buried."
While there was some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" and people responded with "ooh" after Richards used the n-word.
Eventually someone called out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. `Seinfeld,' that's it."
On Monday, about a half-dozen community activists gathered to denounce Richards' remarks and demand an apology.
(Agencies)
