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zappaman

(20,606 posts)
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 09:59 PM Nov 2013

Andy Kaufman May Really Be Alive, Suggests New Reports

"Thanks to his utterly bizarre yet completely transformative character work and penchant for pulling large-scale pranks, Andy Kaufman is exactly the kind of person who you would expect to fake their own death - and as a result has been the subject of many conspiracy theories ever since his reported passing in 1984. Hell, even director Milos Forman added an interesting question mark scene about Kaufman's death at the end of his 1999 biopic Man on the Moon. Now a new chapter has been written in the decades long conspiracy theory, however, and if this new report turns out to be true it means that Kaufman has spent the last 29 years of his living in obscurity with a wife and family. Defamer picked up the story from The Comic's Comic, and it's quite an interesting tale.

The story begins at the 9th annual Andy Kaufman Awards, which were held on Monday night at New York's Gotham Comedy Club. While on stage, Michael Kaufman - Andy's brother - began to talk about his sibling's legacy and then revealed that he doesn't actually know if Andy is alive or dead. He then told a story about how back in 1984 he was going through his brother's things and discovered an essay written by Andy about how he would go about faking his own death. The piece said that he would eventually reappear on Christmas Eve 1999 at a particular restaurant, and when that date came Michael went to the place to find out the truth. While Andy was a no-show, that night he was given a letter from a stranger that turned out to be a letter addressed to him from Andy. In the letter the comedy legend explained how he wanted to have a normal life and that "he'd met and fallen in love with a woman and had a daughter, and that he didn't want Michael or anyone to say anything while their own father was still alive."

Andy and Michael's father, Stanley, died this past summer, and Michael told the audience at the Gotham Comedy Club that a month after the loss he got a call from a young woman who told him over the phone that Andy was alive and that he had actually been paying attention to the Andy Kaufman Awards "from afar" and was very proud of the event. Michael then asked the crowd if that young woman was in the audience, and then a 24-year-old woman stood up from the back and made her way to the stage. The report on The Comic's Comic, which was written by a writer named Sean L. McCarthy, doesn't mention exactly how this young woman was connected to Andy, but Killy Dwyer, an Andy Kaufman Awards finalist who was there that night, said in a Facebook post that the mystery guest was Andy Kaufman's daughter. "

more at the link
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Andy-Kaufman-May-Really-Alive-Suggests-Reports-40294.html

I think this is a great tribute to Andy Kaufman!

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Andy Kaufman May Really Be Alive, Suggests New Reports (Original Post) zappaman Nov 2013 OP
He can fake his death but he needed a corpus delicti... Historic NY Nov 2013 #1
There is; official cause of death was renal failure secondary to lung cancer REP Nov 2013 #2
I always thought he was weird Bluestar Nov 2013 #3
Warren D was right! lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #4
So, the JFK Conspiracy Theories aren't doing it any more? brooklynite Nov 2013 #5
This one is more fun. icymist Nov 2013 #6
I am suspicious of every word of this, yet at the same time I feel it's a perfect tribute to him. arcane1 Nov 2013 #7
I think Andy's friends and family are "pulling a Kaufman." 1000words Nov 2013 #8
They did a good job kcr Nov 2013 #13
Kaufman was brilliant. 1000words Nov 2013 #20
I agree. zappaman Nov 2013 #24
"BREAKING NEWS: Andy Kaufman... pinboy3niner Nov 2013 #9
OMG! You did it again. lonestarnot Nov 2013 #23
Ok. In_The_Wind Nov 2013 #27
Well in the video on TMZ....the girl does look quite a bit like him... cbdo2007 Nov 2013 #10
His brother JanMichael Nov 2013 #11
He really does have a daughter Freddie Nov 2013 #12
that isn't his first daughter...she would be 45 or so by now cbdo2007 Nov 2013 #30
I worked with Kaufman's girlfriend - Hell Hath No Fury Nov 2013 #14
I think the world would be a much more interesting place with Andy Kaufman still in it... SidDithers Nov 2013 #15
I saw him hanging out with Elvis and Tupac at a Burger King in Hilton Head several years ago! Ghost in the Machine Nov 2013 #16
I think his brother is being cruelly toyed with BainsBane Nov 2013 #17
He's not. Smoking Gun has a copy of the death certificate. octoberlib Nov 2013 #18
If you believe they put a man on the moon... Blue Owl Nov 2013 #19
are we losin' touch? RagAss Nov 2013 #21
I SO want him to be alive that I hesitate to post this, but nolabear Nov 2013 #22
STFU ! TroglodyteScholar Nov 2013 #25
All those Elvis sightings were really Andy Kaufman doing his Elvis impression. lob1 Nov 2013 #26
Dead as a door-nail. WinkyDink Nov 2013 #28
With Andy, you can never be sure deutsey Nov 2013 #29
Who's buried in Andy's grave? Historic NY Nov 2013 #31
I hope he is alive and leading a happy life. Pisces Nov 2013 #32
Being reported on all news links now...CNN...MSN ... FOX... RagAss Nov 2013 #33
It's a great prank that would make Andy proud. zappaman Nov 2013 #34
Me too...but this is great stuff with the brother involved... RagAss Nov 2013 #35
Andy is alive melody Nov 2013 #36

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)
1. He can fake his death but he needed a corpus delicti...
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:07 PM
Nov 2013

in other words there has to be a death certificate or corners report some where.

REP

(21,691 posts)
2. There is; official cause of death was renal failure secondary to lung cancer
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:14 PM
Nov 2013

He had a rare form of lung cancer that spread to his brain. The death certificate was filed in LA and is viewable on line.

Be nice if he hadn't have died though.

 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
7. I am suspicious of every word of this, yet at the same time I feel it's a perfect tribute to him.
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:47 PM
Nov 2013

I can easily image him finding himself diagnosed with cancer, knowing his time is short, and coming up with a scheme like this

 

1000words

(7,051 posts)
8. I think Andy's friends and family are "pulling a Kaufman."
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:50 PM
Nov 2013

Considering Kaufman's fondness for hoaxes, is there a better way to honor him?

kcr

(15,315 posts)
13. They did a good job
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 11:27 PM
Nov 2013

That young woman looks just like him. I saw that picture and for a split second I almost considered it might be true! I think he would have loved this.

cbdo2007

(9,213 posts)
10. Well in the video on TMZ....the girl does look quite a bit like him...
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:57 PM
Nov 2013

in the eyes especially and some of her faces, but she could be some other relative of his.

Interesting either way!

Freddie

(9,259 posts)
12. He really does have a daughter
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 11:26 PM
Nov 2013

His HS girlfriend gave his daughter up for adoption (late 60's?) and after Andy's (supposed) death she found out about her birth parents.

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
15. I think the world would be a much more interesting place with Andy Kaufman still in it...
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 11:38 PM
Nov 2013

but I think I'm pretty skeptical that he's alive. It is a nice thought, tho.

And if Hitler is still alive, I guess anything is possible.



Sid

BainsBane

(53,031 posts)
17. I think his brother is being cruelly toyed with
Wed Nov 13, 2013, 11:52 PM
Nov 2013

Why wouldn't Andy call himself if he were still alive?

nolabear

(41,959 posts)
22. I SO want him to be alive that I hesitate to post this, but
Thu Nov 14, 2013, 02:01 AM
Nov 2013

The young woman claiming to be his daughter is apparently an actress named Alexandra Tatarsky. I saw the claim, googled her, and it does look like the same person.

But of course that means nothing. It could be a double backward super duper Clifton.

deutsey

(20,166 posts)
29. With Andy, you can never be sure
Thu Nov 14, 2013, 09:17 AM
Nov 2013

I believe he's dead, but if anyone could pull off a stunt like this, it would be him.

He was (is?) a fucking genius. I'm glad I got to see him in his heyday on SNL, Taxi, his own TV specials, and all that crazy 'rassling stuff he did.

RagAss

(13,832 posts)
35. Me too...but this is great stuff with the brother involved...
Thu Nov 14, 2013, 01:28 PM
Nov 2013

29 years in the grave and he's still screwing with us...hahahahaaa

melody

(12,365 posts)
36. Andy is alive
Fri Nov 15, 2013, 08:34 PM
Nov 2013

That's my current theory. Given the weight of the evidence, I lean toward that conclusion.

His father died in July. His brother, Michael, is now on record as saying he believes he is. If anyone knows, it's Michael.

And of course Zmuda and Margolis say he's dead -- they're part of Puzzlementary, the group that's fnording everyone.

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