Who Is The Late Richard Lewis' Wife, Joyce Lapinsky?
Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian known for his neurotic humor and memorable appearances on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," died on February 27th, 2024, at his Los Angeles home after suffering a heart attack. "His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship, and support and asks for privacy at this time," his publicist Jeff Abraham shared in a statement.
In April 2023, Lewis bravely shared his Parkinson's disease diagnosis with his followers on X, formerly Twitter, revealing that he was diagnosed sometime in 2021. "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," he said in the heartfelt video.
The late Lewis and his wife, Joyce Lapinsky, a producer and former music publisher, were together for 25 years. The two met in 1998 at a party hosted by the Beatles' Ringo Starr, where Lewis attempted to impress Lapinsky with questionable dance moves, which apparently didn't quite hit the mark. As the late comedian told The New York Times in 2005, after seeing his sway wasn't getting him anywhere, he slipped Lapinsky a note that read, "I swear I'm a decent guy," igniting a quarter-century-long spark.
Lapinsky found love with Lewis despite initial doubts and wrong timing
When the late Richard Lewis finally caught Joyce Lapinsky's attention in 1998, she was the one who immediately laid all of her cards on the table. In a 2010 interview with Paul Freeman, Lewis recalled, "I guessed [Lapinsky] was Italian and 33. She said, 'Let's nip this in the bud. I'm 42. I'm a Jew from Minnesota. So if that bugs you... And if children are a major thing...' She was like reading my mind."
Lapinsky was no stranger to quirky humor, having worked as a producer on "Idiots and Armadillos," a live comedy routine in 1998. A year later, she produced "Robert Schimmel: Unprotected," another comedy but in documentary form. She switched careers in 2005 and became a program development consultant for Urban Farming, a nonprofit organization. In 2014, Lapinsky returned to the world of entertainment as a producer on "House of a Lifetime: Richard Lewis," a tour of the late Lewis' home.
Although Lapinsky and Lewis hit it off at Ringo Starr's party, they were actually meant to meet years earlier. Lewis revealed in his interview with Freeman that a mutual friend had tried to set them up, but Lapinsky wasn't interested at the time. "I was an active drunk and drug addict then, so it wouldn't have worked out anyway," Lewis shared. Fortunately for both of them, meeting later in life seemed to have worked out perfectly, and the late comedian always expressed his love and gratitude for Lapinsky.
Lapinsky and the late Lewis had an unconventional marriage
As Richard Lewis and Joyce Lapinsky talked about the important things before marriage, all there was left to do was tie the knot. However, after seven years of dating, the next logical step for the late comedian was to introduce Lapinsky to his therapist, and it seems he was really onto something. As therapists know a relationship won't last, Lewis' counselor knew that the late actor's romance with Lapinsky was the real deal. When speaking to The Observer in 2007, Lewis recalled, "It's sad — [I] had no confidence in my ability to select a mate." He continued, "In a voice that was almost satanic — it was so dark and loud that it seemed to echo through the neighborhood — my therapist screamed at me, 'This is as good as it gets!'"
In 2004, Lewis and Lapinsky got engaged, marrying the following year. However, they opted not to live together full-time. According to Lewis' interview with The Observer, the spouses split their time between his quirky Los Angeles residence and Lapinsky's minimalist mountain chalet. "I knew that, if I wound up being with you, I would have to have my own home," Lapinsky told him.
As Lewis' health started deteriorating, Lapinsky steadfastly stood by his side and tried to make him feel better by getting him a special toilet. "When you walk into the bathroom, it opens automatically. I call it Sal," the late comedian quipped when speaking to the Chicago Tribune in 2020. Lapinsky and Lewis had no children.