Jerry Lawler, Andy Kaufman Hoax: 'I'd Like Nothing Better Than to Know Andy Was Alive' (VIDEO)
WWE Superstar Jerry "the King" Lawler once had a feud with actor and comedian Andy Kaufman, but now, in light of so-called reports that Kaufman is actually alive and well, Lawler issued a statement clearing the air. Lawler said he "would like nothing better than to know that Andy was still alive."
The rumors of Kaufman's fake death began circulating earlier this week. The comedian died in 1984 from a rare form of lung cancer, though many have claimed that Kaufman faked his own death. A woman claiming to be Kaufman's daughter announced that he was still alive and had planned to reveal all at this year's Andy Kaufman Awards in New York City but got "cold feet" at the last minute.
Yet according to The Smoking Gun, the young woman who claimed to be Kaufman's daughter is actually an actress whose own father is a doctor. Alexandra Tatarsky, 24, made her appearance alongside Kaufman's brother, Michael, at the Awards ceremony. Michael reportedly hired the young actress to pose as his niece at the event in order to stir up interest in his late brother's life.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"I would like nothing better than to know that Andy was still alive and been with us all this time," Lawler told CNN. "But like anybody else, I really don't know any more than what I've heard. It could be a great hoax in his honor, dreamed up by his friend Bob Zmuda and his brother, Michael. That would be something that would be in keeping with Andy's tradition, but who's to say. It could really be legit."
According to Michael Kaufman, his brother did not die in 1984 but went into seclusion. He allegedly received a letter from his brother stating that he would come out of hiding in 1999, and when Michael went to their meeting place, he was handed a letter supposedly written by Andy.
"It was too much pressure to be Andy Kaufman," the letter read. "I just wanted to be Andy. I think that's why I got sick. I had to change completely and quickly. I'm extremely very happily married with the most wonderful wife in the whole wide world and with the two greatest kids: a 10-year-old daughter and a son who is 8."
Yet Michael Kaufman told CNN later that this all was a hoax and that his brother truly is dead.
Watch Kaufman speak about the incident HERE:
