Qurious
Im On 1.
BELIEVABLE!
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The laughing
stopped abruptly Friday night at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, when renowned
actor and standup comic Michael Richards, best known as Kramer from
"Seinfeld," veered from his act and allegedly spewed the N-word at audience
members in an expletives laden tirade.
DARRYL PITTS, AUDIENCE MEMBER: He goes on a whole diatribe and just goes on
and on and on about -- you know, using the N-word and basically, I'm rich, I
don't care what you think. I don't give an F what you think. I have enough money
to have you arrested. F you, ni99er, again.
ANDERSON: Darryl Pitts was in the audience and says Richards was shaken by a
group of people who were disruptive and told Richards he wasn't funny. Richard's
response?
PITTS: He said, 50 years ago you would be hanging upside down from a tree.
ANDERSON: According to Pitts, Richard launched a venomous personal attack
against the rowdy group that stunned the 300 in attendance.
PITTS: Just got totally silent, it just took all of the air out of the room.
He dropped the mic, and just walked off. There was never any, I'm sorry for what
you just saw.
ANDERSON: Comedian Paul Rodriguez was also on the bill Friday night.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ, COMEDIAN: Once the word " ni99er " comes out of your mouth
and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of
explaining.
ANDERSON: But Richards, who was back on stage at the Laugh Factory 24 hours
later didn't explain, refusing to talk on camera. He told CNN off-camera he felt
sorry for what happened and he had made amends. To whom or how he made amends,
Richards didn't say.
PITTS: Even if he found those particular guys that he offended, he offended
everyone that was in that club that night. So he didn't make amends to me and
that's not something that I can forget or forgive.
ANDERSON: Comedians are known to sometimes cross the line of good taste
within their acts, but Pitts says Richards' actions far exceeded the boundaries
of what's acceptable and he should take responsibility.
PITTS: He needs to make a public apology to everyone, because he offended
every African-American in this country with what he did.
RODRIGUEZ: Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael
Richards found those limitations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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