Publicist Says Embattled Actor Michael Richards "Thinks Of Himself As Jewish"

Michael Richards Clarifies Claim About Being Jewish

Just when it seemed Michael Richards was about to leave the most troubling incident of his career behind, his publicist is having to explain how the comic could consider himself to be Jewish.

Last week, crisis-management expert Howard Rubenstein acknowledged that Richards had shouted anti-Semitic remarks in an April standup comedy routine — well before his appearance earlier this month in which he harangued hecklers with the n-word. But he defended Richards' language about Jews, saying that the comic "is Jewish. He's not anti-Semitic at all. He was role-playing."

As Rubenstein's assertion circulated, Jewish organizations and commentators pointed out that the man who played Cosmo Kramer on "Seinfeld" has not converted to Judaism and neither of his parents are Jewish.

So he wasn't born into Judaism and he hasn't converted. Uh, yeah - I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way - God doesn't count "role-playing." I mean, I think of myself as an Abercrombie & Fitch model...but I'm not...