Seinfeld star Michael Richards reveals he was the result of a sexual assault: ‘I had to come to terms with knowing I was unwanted’

Actor and comedian Michael Richards is on the road to promoting his new memoir, Entrances And Exits, out June 4.

And among the candid recollections of his youth is an admission that he was lied to about who his father was during his formative years.

The former Seinfeld Star’s mother initially told him that his father had been killed during World War II, and after he pointed out to her that the numbers were wrong, she changed the story and said that his father died in a car accident.

By the time he stepped up his efforts and tracked down a man he believed could be his father, she was finally released and confessed that he was the result of a sexual assault against her.

Elsewhere in his upcoming memoir, the actor also revealed a secret battle with prostate cancer and reflected on his 2006 racist rant.

After getting the full story from his mother, Phyllis Nardozzi, she told him she wanted an abortion, but that was illegal when she was pregnant in 1949, so she decided to put him up for adoption, but ultimately changed her mind and raising him as a single parent.

When Richards first heard this, he said he was devastated and it made him feel unwanted.

It also explained why all his life he felt unlovable and full of anger inside him.

“I had to accept that I was unwanted or that my mother wanted to get rid of me,” the Culver City, California, resident said.

“It’s definitely something I’ve had to look at over the years to discover how my anger comes from a sense of inferiority,” Richards explained. “I have a temper, and it comes from that undesirability, not being acceptable, not being understood, not being good enough to be liked or even loved.”

It turns out that his surname Richards was made up as part of the first story his mother made up to hide the traumatic details about his father.

With thoughts of insecurity, the former Fridays star has turned down a number of opportunities in the entertainment industry over the years because he didn’t feel worthy.

“I said no to the offer of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I felt like I didn’t deserve it,” he admitted, before adding, “I said no to hosting Saturday Night Live twice because I didn’t feel good enough.”

The actor and comedian confessed that his mother initially told him his father had died during World War II, but when he pressed her that the numbers were wrong, she said his father died in a car accident.

After learning how he was conceived and his mother telling him she wanted to have an abortion but that it was illegal, Richards said this explained why he had lifelong feelings of not being lovable and worthy, which even carried over to then he played Kramer. Seinfeld

In fact, those thoughts and feelings of not being good enough wreaked havoc on his soul during the years he was on Seinfeld.

“Every week during Seinfeld I had the feeling that I was never really satisfied with my performance and that it could always be better.”

“And as the stakes got higher, the pressure to always be good became difficult,” he said.

“And to accept myself, even when my audience loved me and the awards, accolades and all the offers were pouring in – it felt almost impossible at times, way too overwhelming.”

Richards continued, “I would think, ‘I don’t like myself as much as they do. They wouldn’t like me if they knew the real me, the person behind the character they’re laughing at.’

The man behind Cosmo Kramer’s iconic role on Seinfeld also revealed his health scare in 2018 when he was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer.

“I thought, ‘Well, this is my time. I’m ready to go,'” People Richards quoted. ‘But a few seconds later I thought about my son and I heard myself saying, ‘I have a nine-year-old and I want to be there for him.’

Richards’ new memoir, Entrances and Exits, is out June 4, but is already available for pre-order wherever books are sold

After undergoing a biopsy, Richards said his doctor recommended immediate surgery to remove the entire prostate.

“It had to be brought under control quickly,” the California resident stated. ‘I had to have the full operation. If I hadn’t done that, I probably would have been dead in about eight months.”

Richards now lives a quiet life and now enjoys being husband to actress Beth Skipp, 46, and father to their son Antonio.

While Richards’ new memoir, Entrances and Exits, hits shelves on June 4, it is already available for pre-order wherever books are sold.