Janice
12-01-2006, 09:08 PM
Michael Richards and Offended Club Guests to Meet
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Richards will apologize in person to the four black patrons he targeted in a tirade of racial slurs during a recent comedy club performance. A retired judge will mediate the meeting and determine whether he should act further to resolve the matter, Richards' spokesman and an attorney for the customers said Friday.
A cash settlement could be part of the resolution, said Howard J. Rubenstein, who represents Richards. "My client Michael hopes to put it behind him," Rubenstein said. A time and place for the meeting have not been set.
Rubenstein complimented attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the four comedy club patrons, for recommending the meeting.
Allred said Richards should meet with her clients "to hear the pain that he inflicted on them and to apologize to them."
Her clients felt "hurt, humiliation, in fear; they felt intimidated," she said. "We are happy about Mr. Richards' decision, and we commend him for accepting our challenge."
Kyle Doss, 26, one of four black people celebrating a friend's birthday at the Laugh Factory the night of the outburst, also applauded the opportunity to meet with Richards.
"We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr. Richards," Doss said, refusing to answer any questions.
Richards, who played the wacky neighbor Kramer on 'Seinfeld,' has been on a campaign of contrition since videotaped footage of his Nov. 17 outburst at the Laugh Factory nightclub surfaced on the Web site TMZ.com.
He has apologized on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program "Keep Hope Alive" and the "Late Show with David Letterman." He also apologized to civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton. Richards has said the tirade was fueled by anger at being heckled and not bigotry. Allred denied her clients heckled Richards.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Richards will apologize in person to the four black patrons he targeted in a tirade of racial slurs during a recent comedy club performance. A retired judge will mediate the meeting and determine whether he should act further to resolve the matter, Richards' spokesman and an attorney for the customers said Friday.
A cash settlement could be part of the resolution, said Howard J. Rubenstein, who represents Richards. "My client Michael hopes to put it behind him," Rubenstein said. A time and place for the meeting have not been set.
Rubenstein complimented attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the four comedy club patrons, for recommending the meeting.
Allred said Richards should meet with her clients "to hear the pain that he inflicted on them and to apologize to them."
Her clients felt "hurt, humiliation, in fear; they felt intimidated," she said. "We are happy about Mr. Richards' decision, and we commend him for accepting our challenge."
Kyle Doss, 26, one of four black people celebrating a friend's birthday at the Laugh Factory the night of the outburst, also applauded the opportunity to meet with Richards.
"We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr. Richards," Doss said, refusing to answer any questions.
Richards, who played the wacky neighbor Kramer on 'Seinfeld,' has been on a campaign of contrition since videotaped footage of his Nov. 17 outburst at the Laugh Factory nightclub surfaced on the Web site TMZ.com.
He has apologized on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program "Keep Hope Alive" and the "Late Show with David Letterman." He also apologized to civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton. Richards has said the tirade was fueled by anger at being heckled and not bigotry. Allred denied her clients heckled Richards.