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 out on the promotional trail for his new memoir, Entrances And Exits, which drops on June 4.

And among the candid recollections of his childhood is the 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 dad was killed during the World War II, and then after he pressed her about the numbers not adding up, she changed the story and said his father died in a car crash.

By the time he stepped up his efforts and tracked down a man he thought could be his father, she finally came clean and confessed he had been 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 tirade. 

Michael Richards, 74, revealed his conception into this world was the result of a sexual assault against his mother in his new memoir Entrances and Exits

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

Upon hearing this for the first time, Richards said he was devastated, and that it left him feeling like he was unwanted.

It also explained why he had lifelong feelings of not being lovable, and full of anger inside him. 

'I had to come to terms with knowing I was unwanted or that my mother wanted to get rid of me,' the Culver City, California native said.

'It is definitely something that I have had to look into over the years to discover how my anger arises out of a feeling of inferiority,' Richards explained. 'I have a temper, and it stems from that unwantedness, not being acceptable, not being understood, not being good enough to be liked or even loved.'

It turns out his last name of Richards had been made up as part of the initial story his mother made up to hide the traumatic details about his father.

Harboring thoughts of insecurity, the former Fridays star 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 didn't feel deserving,' 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 his mother initially told him his father was killed during the World War II, but when he pressed her about the numbers not adding up she said his dad died in a car crash

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

Those thoughts and feelings of not being good enough were even wreaking havoc on his soul during the years he starred in Seinfeld.

'I felt every week during Seinfeld I was never really satisfied with my performance and that I could always do better.'

'And as the stakes got higher, the pressure to always be good was difficult,' he said. 

'And to accept myself even when my audiences were loving me and the awards, accolades and all the offers were coming in — it felt almost impossible sometimes, way too overwhelming.'

Richards continued, 'I'd think, "I don’t like myself as much as they like me. They wouldn't like me if they knew the real me, the person behind the character that they're laughing at."'

The man behind the iconic role of Cosmo Kramer 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 quoted Richards. 'But then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying, "I've got a 9-year-old and I'd like to be around for him."'

Richards' new memoir, Entrances and Exits, will be released on June 4, but it is already available for preorder, wherever books are sold

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

'It had to be contained quickly,' the California native stated. 'I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months.' 

Now living the quiet life, Richards is now enjoying being a husband to actress Beth Skipp, 46, and father to their son Antonio.

While Richards' new memoir, Entrances and Exits, hits book shelves on June 4, it is already available for preorder, wherever books are sold.