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Richard Lewis, who was widely known for his time on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died at the age of 76 on February 27, 2024. The actor had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and suffered a heart attack at the time of his tragic death. After news broke of Richards’ passing, his co-star, Larry David, released a statement to HBO and Variety in response to the somber news.
“Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me,” Larry penned in the statement on February 28. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I’ll never forgive him.” Amid the latest, below is everything to know about Richards’ wife and their longtime marriage.
Richard Lewis’ Wife Joyce Lapinsky
Richard Lewis and Joyce Lapinsky pictured at an event in February 2015. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
The Anything but Love alum married Joyce Lapinsky in 2005 and remained married to her up until his death. Richard and his wife met about seven years before they were married when she worked in music publishing, per The US Sun. At the time, Joyce met her leading man while in attendance at Ringo Starr‘s album release party. One year before they officially tied the knot, Richard popped the question and the two became happily engaged.
Did Richard Lewis and Joyce Lapinsky Have Kids?
Although Joyce and her late husband were married for nearly two decades, they did not welcome any children together. Despite not expanding their family, many around them noted how much the two loved each other. Susie Essman, who also starred on Curb Your Enthusiasm, called Joyce a “stabilizing” partner for Richard. “Joyce has such a stabilizing effect on him,” she said, per Closer Weekly. “Everybody is looking for that one person in life who will love you unconditionally, and he’s found that with her.”
What Richard Said About Joyce Before His Death
— Richard Lewis (@TheRichardLewis) April 24, 2023
During an interview before his death, Richard recalled how he and his wife often spent time with the late actress Phyllis Diller. “Phyllis [Diller] was like the mother I never had who loved my work, saw my shows, called me. My wife and I would go to her house often, and she’d take me out to dinner,” he told Vanity Fair.
When Richard died in February 2024, his publicist Jeff Abraham released a statement on behalf of Joyce. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time,” he said, per Deadline. In the year before his death, Richard revealed that he was retiring to focus on his health. He took to social media in April 2023 and released a video to share the news with his fans.
“Hey listen, I just wrapped a couple of weeks ago season 12 of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and it was just an amazing season and I’m so grateful to be a part of that show,” Richard said. “But you know the last three and a half years, I’ve had sort of a rocky time and people said, ‘I haven’t heard from you, are you still touring?’” He also explained that he had multiple surgeries and was under medical care.
“I had four surgeries back to back to back to back, it was incredible, I couldn’t believe it, it was bad luck, but that’s life,” he continued. “I’m finished with stand-up. I’m just focusing on writing and acting. I have Parkinson’s disease but I’m under a doctor’s care and everything is cool. I love my wife, I love my little puppy dog and I love all my friends and my fans. And now you know where it’s been at the last three and a half years. God bless you.”
