Joyce Lapinsky, wife of Richard Lewis, breaks her silence on the comedian’s death

Famous

By Michael Starr

Richard Lewis’ wife Joyce Lapinsky thanked his many fans around the world in a post on X three days after the beloved comedian’s death at the age of 76.

“This is Joyce, Richard’s wife.” she wrote on her page. “Thank you for your loving tributes to him. He would be beyond excited and touched, as would I.

“In response to your many questions, I know Richard would appreciate donations in his memory to the Los Angeles-based charity. comedygivesback.com or the charity of your choice.”

According to its website, Comedy Gives Back is “the safety net for the comedy community by providing relief from the financial crisis, sponsorship of chemical and mental health treatments, and ongoing community support.”

Lewis, the iconic comedian who starred alongside his longtime friend Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” playing a thinly veiled version of himself, died Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack.

Lewis, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease last spring and had retired from comedy, also starred in the ABC series “Anything but Love” opposite Jamie Lee Curtis and the Fox comedy “Daddy Dearest” opposite Don Rickles .

He was a frequent guest and favorite on late-night television dating back to the early 1980s on “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show” and others.

According to deadlineSeveral weeks before his death, Lewis posted a photo of himself and his wife and wrote, “Keaton had his Eleanor, I have my Joyce,” alluding to the famous silent film star Buster Keaton, whose wife, Eleanor, he kept alive. his memory after him. He died in 1966.

The homepage image for Lewis’ X is a photo of Buster Keaton from one of his films from the silent era.

Lewis and Lapinsky met in 1988 at a Ringo Starr album release party, got engaged in 2004 and married in 2005, according to People.

After Lewis’ death, Starr posted a photo of the three and wrote: “God bless you Richard Lewis, peace and love to Joyce.”

Lewis, at one point in his life, struggled with drugs and alcohol. and told Entertainment Tonight in 2010. of his relationship with Joyce who “has found peace and serenity. On stage, I’m still exploring my bottomless pit of bad memories… In real life, I’m still crazy, but I’m much happier and grateful than ever.

“Marriage has a lot to do with it,” he continued. “We have a neurotic relationship that, 99 percent of the time, is full of laughter and love.”