In an explosive tell-all in his upcoming memoir “Entrances and Exits,” Michael Richards, the iconic 74-year-old ‘Seinfeld’ star, drops a health bombshell that’s bound to leave fans reeling. Set to grace bookstores on June 4, Richards reveals his harrowing brush with death during a routine checkup in the summer of 2018. The diagnosis? Stage 1 prostate cancer, after tests showed skyrocketing PSA levels.
“I thought, well, this is my time. I’m ready to go,” Richards confessed to PEOPLE. But a thought of his young son changed his tune: “I’ve got a 9-year-old and I’d like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?”
In a race against time, his doctors didn’t mince words. They pushed for drastic measures—total removal of his prostate. “It had to be contained quickly. I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn’t, I probably would have been dead in about eight months,” Richards admitted.
Digging deep into his past, Richards shared, “I had over 40 journals I’d kept over the years and wanted to do a full review of my life. I’m turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age. I wanted to connect with feelings and memory. I’m surprised at how much I was able to remember.”
Before his days as a television juggernaut, Richards served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era, stationed in Germany. Post-service, he pursued drama at the California Institute of the Arts, then at Evergreen State College in Washington. His entertainment career kicked off in the 1970s as a stand-up comedian, paving the way to his role as the unforgettable Cosmo Kramer on ‘Seinfeld,’ which won him three Primetime Emmys.
Despite reaching dizzying heights of fame, Richards’ career wasn’t without its abysses. His infamous 2006 racial outburst during a comedy set at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood shattered his public image. Caught on video, the tirade went viral, leading to widespread backlash and a public apology on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman.’ “I was immediately sorry the moment I said it onstage,” Richards reflected. “The damage was inside of me… So I completely stepped away from show business. It was time to disappear and finally pay attention to where all of my anger was coming from. The most I could do for everybody was go home and get my sh*t together.”
Now keeping a low profile, Richards has appeared sparingly in the industry, focusing instead on personal reflection and growth. “[I’m] learning and healing. Healing and learning,” he remarked, summing up his current phase of life.
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Stay tuned as Michael Richards bares it all—his rise, fall, and the quest for redemption—in “Entrances and Exits.”