'Seinfeld' Star Michael Richards, 74, Reveals Secret Prostate Cancer Battle That Almost Left Him 'Dead in About Eight Months'
Michael Richards recently revealed that he battled a secret prostate cancer diagnosis that would have left him “dead in about eight months” if he did not undergo immediate surgery.
May 23 2024, Published 10:45 a.m. ET
Seinfeld star Michael Richards recently revealed that he battled a secret prostate cancer diagnosis that would have left him “dead in about eight months” if he did not undergo immediate surgery, RadarOnline.com can report.
In a surprising development to come ahead of Richards’ upcoming new memoir, Entrances and Exits, the 74-year-old actor and comedian revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2018.
Richards revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2018 in his new upcoming memoir, "Entrances and Exits."
“I thought: Well, this is my time and I'm ready to go,” the star who played Cosmo Kramer on Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinfeld wrote, according to excerpts obtained by People.
“Then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying: I've got a nine-year-old and I'd like to be around for him,” he continued. “Is there any way I can get a little more life going?”
Richards also explained that, after undergoing a biopsy, his doctor recommended immediate surgery to remove the comedian’s entire prostate.
“It had to be contained quickly,” Richards explained. “I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months.”
Richards also explained that, after undergoing a biopsy, his doctor recommended immediate surgery to remove the comedian’s entire prostate.
Meanwhile, the Seinfeld star acknowledged that his prostate cancer battle six years ago inspired him to compose the memoir that ultimately turned into his upcoming Entrances and Exits book.
“I had over 40 journals I'd kept over the years,” he said. “I'm turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age.”
Richards went on to joke that he was “surprised” by “how much” he “was able to remember” after all these years.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Richards starred as Kramer on Seinfeld from its premiere in 1989 to its finale in 1998. He also starred in the seventh season of Seinfeld co-creator Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Richards reunited with Jerry Seinfeld earlier this month.
Richards was ultimately forced to step away from acting and comedy in 2006 after he suffered backlash for a racist stand-up comedy routine at the Laugh Factory – something he also discussed in his upcoming memoir.
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“I was immediately sorry the moment I said it onstage,” Richards, who called a heckler a racial slur nearly 20 years ago, admitted. “My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast.”
“Anger is quite a force. But it happened,” he continued. “Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn’t been easy. Crisis managers wanted me to do damage control.”
"If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months," Richards revealed in his new memoir.
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“But as far as I was concerned, the damage was inside of me.”
Richards’ revelation that he almost died from prostate cancer came just days after the actor and comedian reunited with Jerry Seinfeld for the red carpet premiere of Seinfeld’s latest film, Unfrosted, earlier this month.
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