Jerry Lewis' Dark Side Unmasked: 'Egomaniacal' Comedian's Sex-Crazed Affair and 'Handcuff Torture' of Musician Laid Bare
Lewis once had an affair during the production of his 1963 film 'The Nutty Professor'.
Nov. 18 2024, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Jerry Lewis' life was filled with plenty of secrets, including an affair with his co-star and even a cruel prank that left a musician in tears.
RadarOnline.com can reveal another side of the iconic funnyman – who we revealed has been branded "egomaniacal" – which was kept out of the spotlight during his legendary life and career.
Jerry Lewis' long life and career included secrets kept out of the spotlight.
Rick Saphire, Lewis' personal manager and the author behind the memoir, The Real Jerry Lewis Story, exclusively spoke with RadarOnline.com on his memorable conversation with the comedian about being faithful during his two marriages.
According to Saphire, Lewis praised his manager for never stepping out of his marriage, however, he could not say the same for his himself.
Lewis stated at the time: “It’s great that you never cheated. I gave it up years ago.”
Saphire was told by actress Stella Stevens that she and Lewis had a love affair while filming the 1963 comedy, The Nutty Professor, written and directed by the comic.
Lewis also confirmed to his manager that he and Stella would "disappear and have sex" any time there was a break in the film production.
Stevens ended the intense affair at the end of the film's production, as she refused to continue the relationship while Lewis was married to his first wife at the time, Patti Palmer.
While Lewis returned to his wife, he still selected the opening theme song to the film as a tribute to Stevens following their affair.
Lewis was married to Palmer from 1945 to 1983. He then tied the knot with dancer SanDee Pitnick in 1983 as they remained in a relationship until his death in 2017.
Pitnick appeared in Lewis' 1980 film Hardly Working.
Lewis had an affair with his 'The Nutty Professor' co-star Stella Stevens.
When Lewis wasn't falling for his co-stars, he also entertained himself by pulling cruel pranks on those around him, including on one of his musicians, Sammy Bidner.
Bidner played saxophone and flute for Lewis and singer Dean Martin on The Colgate Comedy Hour. After Martin and Lewis went their separate ways, Bidner continued to work and travel with Lewis, which allowed the comedian to make the musician the target of his shocking impractical jokes.
According to Saphire, Bidner once visited Lewis' hotel suite and was asked by the comic to help him with a pair of handcuffs. However, this allowed Lewis to handcuff Bidner to a pipe in the bathroom shower for "a few hours".
Bidner, who was claustrophobic, was "so terrified that he began to cry as he yelled for help," Saphire shared. Bidner was eventually untied from the pipe, and despite his humiliation at the hands of Lewis, he still did not regret working alongside him.
Lewis was also known for pulling cruel pranks on who he worked with, including musician Sammy Bidner.
He shared: “For 20 years, I rode in limos. I traveled to and stayed at the finest hotels, and there was plenty of work.”
Meanwhile, Saphire also exposed why Lewis was suddenly ousted from hosting the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association's telethon in 2011.
The author stated: "Jerry was very angry because the new president of the MDA made decisions without his input. They cut the time of the telethon without conferring with him and Jerry got into a heated battle with the president and said, 'You, and not the kids, belong in a f---ing wheelchair,' before he stormed out of the office."
He added: "Right after that they gave Jerry his walking papers."
Lewis died in 2017 at the age of 91.
MDA executives were said to be afraid to let Lewis, 85 years old at the time, go on live television to say goodbye to his faithful audience.
Saphire said: "My sources disclosed that the organization did not trust him on live TV because Jerry had a record of saying inappropriate things. A vicious diatribe could have done irreparable damage to the image of the MDA."
Lewis, who died at the age of 91 in 2017, was eventually "forced" to make a prerecorded message since he had already blown up his goodwill with MDA bigwigs by his ugly antics.
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Saphire's The Real Jerry Lewis Story is out now.
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