Bette Midler, Ringo Starr, Jamie Lee Curtis and more have expressed their grief.
The stand-up comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm star died from a heart attack on Tuesday, leading numerous A-listers to express their sadness over his passing.
Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the first, taking to social media to reveal Richard was the inspiration for her sobriety.
“(Richard) is the reason I am sober. He helped me,” she wrote. “I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone. He found love with Joyce and that, of course, besides his sobriety, is what mattered most to him. I’m weeping as I write this. Strange way of saying thank you to a sweet and funny man.”
Richard's Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star, Cheryl Hines spoke of his kindness. "He would take time to tell the people he loved what they meant to him. In between takes on Curb, he would tell me how special I was to him and how much he loved me," she wrote. "To be loved by Richard Lewis. A true gift. I love you Richard. You will be missed."
Richard met his wife, Joyce Lapinsky, at a music-industry party for Ringo Starr – and the former Beatle paid tribute on X/Twitter. "God bless, Richard Lewis," Ringo wrote, adding, "peace and love to Joyce peace and love."
Guitar legend Peter Frampton also expressed sorrow over the loss of his friend.
"I just heard we have lost the great and wonderful Richard Lewis," Peter wrote. "We’ve been friends for over 30 years. I’ll really miss you my friend."
