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On November 17, 2006, during a performance at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, a camera phone video captured Richards[1][9] shouting "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have had you dangling upside down with a fucking fork shoved up your ass!" to a pair of black hecklers in the audience, followed by repeated shouts of "He's a nigger!" to the rest of the audience[10] (using the racial epithet six times altogether and making a reference to lynching).[11] Another black member of the audience who was offended by the remarks retorted by calling Richards a "cracker" and "fucking white boy."[10][12]
Richards made a public apology for his racist remarks, during an appearance via satellite on the Late Show with David Letterman, when Jerry Seinfeld was the guest.[13] He described going into a rage and said, "For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry." He said he was trying to defuse heckling by being even more outrageous, but that it had backfired. Richards later called civil rights leaders Al Sharpton[14] and Jesse Jackson[15] in order to apologize. He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.[16]
Kyle Doss, one of the members of the group that Richards had addressed, gave his explanation to CNN of the events prior to the cell phone video. He said that they had arrived in the middle of the performance and that, "I guess we're being a little loud, because there was 20 of us ordering drinks. And Richards said, 'Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there.'"[14] Richards then continued with his routine. Doss added, "And, then, after a while, I told him, my friend doesn't think you're funny," which triggered Richards' outburst.
The incident was later parodied on several TV shows, including MadTV, Family Guy, South Park and Extras. In an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Richards appeared as himself and poked fun at the incident.