Along with fame came celebrity
"In 1996
friendships,
including one with talk
cl my daughter
show host Rosie O'Donnell, who wrote
Robin and
the foreword to Richman's book.
§ her husband,
"Rosie and I met at a premiere seven
Mike [Myers],
gave me a pres- years ago," Richman says. "She had lost
her mother and I had lost my son and
ent, a week at
we became fast friends. I became grand-
Canyon Ranch
mother to Rosie's kids and lived with her
Spa in
for several months before I moved to
Arizona," she
says. "I thought Arizona."
What has been the highlight of
it was a really
.How to .Be Happy .Even When Life
Richman's flirtation with fame? Here's
stupid gift
Has Other Pans for Km
because I didn't where her real tastes meet her son-in-
"I learned that we
law's caricature.
work out, but I went
Linda Richman
can withstand a lot and fell in love with the
"Meeting Barbra Streisand," she says
of pain and loss
without
hesitation. "I met her in 1994
place.
and not just survive
Rosie O'Donnell
backstage in Vegas. I went to every
"I met a Dr. Baker at
it but rise above it." the ranch, who taught
rehearsal and sat with a box of tissues
the whole time. She gave me her
classes on stress man-
phone number, but I didn't call her.
agement and became my therapist. A
and I told him what I was going
"What do we have in common? What
few months later he asked if I would lec-
through. He said, 'Stay as long as you
am I going to say to her: 'Do you want
ture and share my experiences, and [the
like.' It was very upsetting that a Jew
to go to the diner with me?' Our lives
spa] would give me four days for free.
turned me down."
are clearly very different."
"The first night there were 30 people
Yet Richman's Judaism still remains
Richman now lives in Florida, near her
in the audience, and the second night
important to her — even though her
over 100 people showed up. I took them sister and Rosie O'Donnell, two very
religious upbringing was at times con-
important people in her life.
to the depths of despair and had them
Rising. Her mother, who was Jewish,
"I think I am in a good place right
was orphaned before she was 10 years
coming up laughing."
now," she says. "I am very
old and was sent with her siblings to live
That stint led to a two-
close to Robin and Mike,
in a Catholic orphanage run by nuns.
year job in Arizona. "I
and I get to see them
"So when I grew up, one year we went was able to touch people,
often, even though they
to shul, and the next year we went to
and it was such an
live in L.A. They don't
church," Richman says. "But I always
empowering feeling,"
have children yet, and
had a sense of my Jewishness. I grew up
Richman says.
while Mike is not Jewish,
in a Jewish ghetto in the Bronx and
they have decided to raise
moved to Forest Hills, where everyone
their children Jewish when
Coffee Talk
was Jewish.
they do have them.
"I always knew in my heart that I was
It was also in the 1990s
"I swear Mike is an acci-
that Mike Myers landed
Jewish, that I would never marry outside
dent
and was meant to be
of my religion, that my children would
a job as one of the
a Jew. I have never seen
go to Hebrew school and my son would
ensemble stars of
anyone who loves Judaism
Saturday Night Live.
have a bar mitzvah."
as much as [he does]."
When Myers debuted his Mike Myers scored
As Richman finished
infamous "Coffee Talk"
a hit with his portrayal
eating
her breakfast of
Facing Loss
skit based on his mother- of his mother-in-law
potato
latkes and sour
For Richman, devastating loss began at a
in-law, Richman had trep- Linda Richman on
cream,
she stood up to say
young age. "My father was killed by a
idations.
"Saturday Night Live."
goodbye,
paused for a
"Mike had impersonat-
truck when I was 8 years old and my
moment
and
smiled.
ed
me
around
the
house
mother kept his death a secret," she says.
"I am thrilled to have
many times, and we
"I guess she wanted to spare me, but it
would all laugh, but I was worried about the opportunity to help others going
wasn't until six years later that I found
through terrible and similar losses," she
him doing it in front of millions of peo-
out the truth."
says. "And I love the fact that an over-
ple," says Richman, who gave Myers
Her home life, too, was filled with
weight
Jewish woman of almost 60 has
permission to imitate her.
sadness. "My mother suffered from
become
a hit."
"My concern was that nobody
depression and spent time in and out of
would find it funny and he would lose
hospitals," Richman remembers. "My
his job. I thought, 'Who is going to
mother was always negative, which did-
relate to this Jewish woman from
n't make for a happy childhood."
I'd Rather Laugh with Linda
Queens who gets fahrklempt and loves
Later in life, Richman married a
Richman airs 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
Barbra Streisand?' Fortunately, it took
lawyer who became a compulsive gam-
March 15, on Detroit Public
off and became a big hit."
bler, creating countless debts that led to a
Television-Channel 56. Richman
The skits catapulted Richman into the
divorce in 1989. "I had my fill of
will appear in person during the
limelight, which included a brief stint as
heartache," she says.
pledge drive portion of the show.
talk show host. "I made the pilot for The
It wasn't until after her son Jordan's
death that Richman realized she had the
Linda Richman Show, but it didn't go
over very well," she laughs.
ability to help others.
rather
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