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‘Ellen’ producer Andy Lassner credits late comedian Richard Lewis with saving his life

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“Ellen DeGeneres Show” producer Andy Lassner — who struggled with addiction in the past — says the late comedian Richard Lewis saved his life.

Lassner posted a touching tribute to the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star after news of his death broke Wednesday.

“He was one of the many angels in my life who saved me,” Lassner wrote of Lewis, who died of a heart attack at age 76.

Andy Lassner.
The television producer first met Lewis at a 12-step program. andylassner/Instagram
Richard Lewis.
Lassner wrote in a touching tribute to the late comedian that he would not stop calling to make sure he was OK. WireImage

Lassner posted that within a year of moving to Los Angeles in 1998, addiction had “once again ravaged” his life.

“I was a mess,” he wrote, adding that he barely remembers being taken to a 12-step meeting at the time.

One dim memory he did have, however, was Lewis chasing him down in the parking lot, where he insisted on giving Lassner his phone number, instructing him to, “Call me tomorrow just to tell me you’re OK.”

“We spoke. I gave him my number and said I’d check in again,” he continued, adding that “the problem was I had given Richard my number and he wouldn’t stop f–king call me.”

Richard Lewis.
Eventually, when Lassner was at his lowest point, Lewis took him to rehab. FilmMagic

Lassner tried to get the standup comedian to stop incessantly calling but “he wouldn’t stop. Every single day. ‘Hey it’s Richard. Call me.’ I wouldn’t return his call. He was so annoyingly persistent.”

Then one day the Daytime Emmy winner hit rock bottom. He was holed up in a hotel room on Sunset Boulevard. The comedian called yet again and Lassner answered.

The next thing he remembered was “a knock on the door and there stood Richard” who took the troubled Lassner to his house and then arranged for him to go back into rehab.

Andy Lassner on "The Ellen Show."
He ended his tribute, writing that he wishes the pair would have stayed in contact. The Ellen Show

“This time I stayed clean and we stayed in touch for years,” he wrote. “And then less so. And then not at all. And now he’s gone. He was the menchiest of menches.”

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He concluded, “My regret today is not staying in touch. Life is fleeting. Stay connected. ❤️❤️.”

Lassner told Page Six that Lewis was relentless and “for sure one of a number of people who wouldn’t give on me.”

Jamie Lee Curtis.
Jamie Lee Curtis also credits Lewis with helping her get sober. AFP via Getty Images

“I had lots of helpers,” he added. “I was a f–king mess.”

Lassner wasn’t the only celeb to credit the late comedian with the gift of sobriety.

Jamie Lee Curtis, 65, starred opposite Lewis in the sitcom “Anything But Love” which ran from 1989 to 1992.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis in "Anything But Love."
Curtis and Lewis co-starred in the ’90s sitcom “Anything But Love.” ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

The Oscar winner, who has spoken about a lengthy addiction to opiates, wrote on Instagram that Lewis “is the reason I am sober.”

“He helped me. I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone,” she added.

Lewis got sober from drugs and alcohol in 1994.

Larry David and Richard Lewis in "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Lewis passed away at age 76 of a heart attack this week. HBO/Sky Comedy/Kobal/Shutterstock

In 2021, he celebrated 27 years of sobriety.

“August 3, 1994 I thought that I was near death from alcoholism,” he tweeted. “Early the next day I was rushed to the ER and turned my life around a day, sometimes a minute at a time.”

“If you’re struggling you can get help,” the “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” star added. “I did. 8/4/21 27 years sober.”

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