Did Michael Richards Have Another Meltdown?

According to a new report from TMZ, Michael Richards is in hot water again for flying off the handle. In recent years, the 61-year-old 'Seinfeld' star has been keeping a very low profile, ever since hurling the n-word at hecklers during a profanity-laced tirade that was infamously caught on tape in 2006.

Now, in a new lawsuit, photographer Brendon O'Neal reportedly claims that the angry actor flat-out beat him up, during an August 25 assault that sounds downright brutal.

The incident allegedly took place on a street in Los Angeles. Richards is accused of walking up to O'Neal in a "menacing manner ... with closed fists" and then punching the photographer in the face, knocking him to the pavement, where he "proceeded to kick [O'Neal] numerous times, directing the blows to [O'Neal's] arms, hands, and camera."

No word yet on what triggered the alleged assault. Meanwhile, Richards' reps have not issued a response about the lawsuit.

The actor, beloved for years as 'Seinfeld' misfit Cosmo Kramer, was reportedly devastated when amateur video of his 2006 outburst (from the stage of L.A.'s Laugh Factory during a standup gig) severely tarnished his jovial public image. He tried apologizing publicly, and denied he was a racist, although Rev. Jesse Jackson condemned the rant as "hate speech," and many declared Richards' career permanently damaged. Indeed, the actor has rarely resurfaced -- although he guest-starred as himself on a 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' episode in 2009, featuring a controversial scene where Richards blows his top ("If only there were a horrible name that I could call you that would make you as angry as I am!") while bystanders used phones to capture the "meltdown."

So far, no video evidence of the attack on O'Neal has materialized.