Richard Lewis' Brutal Health Issues Plagued His Life Long Before His Shocking Death

October 23, 2024

Highlights

Richard Lewis faced multiple health issues, including Parkinson's Disease, before his 2024 death.
Lewis endured numerous injuries requiring surgeries.
Despite struggling with alcoholism, addiction, and various challenging health conditions, Lewis remained almost sober for over 30 years.

Richard Lewis' February 28th, 2024 death no doubt shocked his enormous fanbase. But Lewis' close friends and family knew that the comedian suffered from numerous health issues before his sudden passing at the age of 76.

While the financially robust stand-up comic and actor was undoubtedly one of the most successful members of the Curb Your Enthusiasm cast, he dealt with medical issues that would cripple most. This article will delve into the numerous health issues Richard Lewis faced throughout his life, as well as his cause of death.

Inside Richard Lewis' Health Conditions

Richard Lewis was born in 1947 just days apart from his close friend and frequent feuder Larry David. Throughout his life, Richard Lewis suffered from numerous illnesses and conditions. First and foremost was the 2023 revelation that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. However, in Lewis' Tweet, he claimed that this diagnosis occurred two years prior to him going public with it.

"I went to a neurologist and they gave me a brain scan and I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and that was about two years ago."

According to People, Lewis continued by saying, "But luckily I got it late in life and they say you progress very slowly if at all and I'm on the right meds so I'm cool."

Following the Season 12 premiere of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Richard Lewis publicly explained why he was not in attendance.

“I have some occasional walking difficulties with Parkinson's the last couple of years. It's not major. I'm getting through it fine so far, but I didn't want to go to, spend five or six hours mingling with so many people."

While Richard Lewis was well enough to film multiple episodes for Curb Your Enthusaism's twelfth and final season, he almost missed the eleventh season entirely. This was due to needing numerous surgeries following an array of injuries he had suffered.

Craig Ferguson Was Visibly Frustrated During An Unhinged Interview With A Curb Your Enthusiasm Star

Craig Ferguson usually could cope with any guest but Richard Lewis from Curb Your Enthusiasm got under the host's skin.

Before the 2021 season of Curb, Lewis had to have extensive back surgery. This was related to acute back pain, according to Today. He also shattered his shoulder in 2020. And back in 2016, he shattered his right hand after he fell from his roof. Due to the lengthy recovery process, Lewis announced that he wasn't going to be able to join Larry David and the cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm for Season 11. Fortunately, he garnered enough strength to return for a single episode. Come season 12, Lewis was capable of filming multiple episodes. But that didn't mean he was in the clear.

During a Vanity Fair interview published mere weeks before his 2024 death, Richard Lewis explained how all-encompassing his diagnosis was.

"I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a couple of years ago. So far so good. I’m going to PT three times a week, but it sucks. It’s another progressive disease that I’m fighting, and I’ll do the best I can. I certainly wouldn’t go on the road. Doing physical training for four surgeries and Parkinson’s, you don’t want to be doing radio at 9 for PR for gigs near the equator."

Jeff Garlin's Conduct On The Set of Curb Your Enthusiasm Is Nowhere As Controversial As What Happened On The Goldbergs

Jeff Garlin's experience making Curb Your Enthusiasm couldn't differ more from his time on ABC's The Goldberg, which killed off his character.

While serious injuries plagued Richard Lewis from 2016 to 2020, and Parkinson's Disease was the most prevalent health battle from 2021 until his death in 2024, Lewis battled another medical issue for much of his life. That would be his long and well-publicized war with addiction.

Was Richard Lewis An Alcoholic?

According to Today, Richard Lewis' battle with alcoholism reached its darkest point in August 1994. This is when he believed that his life would end due to his dependency on it. Following this point, he had no choice but to turn his life around. Without a doubt, Lewis triumphed over his battle with addiction and was almost 30 years sober when he passed away in 2024. This also included abstinence from substances, which he also partook in during his years as a stand-up comedian. Lewis also claimed he was taking serious drugs prior to getting sober.

Richard Lewis covered his battle with addiction thoroughly in his memoir, "The Other Great Depression". But in a 2015 interview with Klean Radio, Lewis claimed that his sobriety was often "minute to minute". And in the first few years of his sobriety, his sex addiction kicked in. After he beat that, he claimed to have had an eating disorder.

"I wasn't drinking or using but my life was still unmanageable, so it's taken me a while. Stopping -- I would have died had I not stopped. Crystal meth was the last drug I took, and it brought me to my knees, but then all these defects I had, of character, you know, womanizing, and sex addiction, and eating disorders, and all of that, those were flaming because I wasn't drinking or medicating myself with the regular stuff."

Larry David's Parking Lot Meltdown Feels Like It Was Taken Straight Out Of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry David once freaked out the way his Curb Your Enthusiasm character would because he couldn't get out of a parking lot.

Richard Lewis claimed that he was able to gain control over all of these things by trying to be "a better man".

"I think I'm more at peace than I've ever been in my life."

What Illness Did Richard Lewis Have That Caused His Death?

According to CBC, Richard Lewis told his fans in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. But it was a heart attack in his home on February 28th, 2024 that ultimately claimed his life. At the time of this writing, little else is known about the circumstances surrounding the untimely demise of the beloved 76-year-old man. However, there is a lot of literature that shows the correlation between Parkinson's Disease and an increased rate of heart problems.

According to the American Parkinson's Disease Association, the illness causes far more than movement issues. Parkinson's Disease can have a severe impact on the cardiac system as well as the major and minor blood vessels that surround it. This means those who have the disease are at a higher risk of having a significant heart event. So, while little is known about the specific details of Richard Lewis' death, it appears there may have been a link between his Parkinson's Disease and his death. But one cannot confirm that at this time.

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