Lewis parted with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America in 2011.
Jerry Lewis parted with the Muscular Dystrophy Association after spending so much time on the telethons. Lewis no longer starred in the annual events, which continued for several years. The relationship between Lewis and the company ended for no apparent reason, although some people have blamed the criticism.
The comedian spoke out against the negative comments and protests regarding the telethons despite the fuss that was made. Maybe he grew weary of all the criticism or the MDA thought it best to not associate with Jerry anymore? What ever the reason was, it seemed that his departure marked the end of the telethons.
His eventual return was not well received.
Jerry’s career was going well when the telethons started. Sadly, it was not too many years after that he reached a low. In this period, he struggled with substance abuse while filming his controversial World War II film. Lewis never felt particularly proud of his production, even though it has been praised in recent years.
After ‘The Day The Clown Cried’, he didn’t appear on the big screens again for a good decade. In 1980, he returned with the comedy film ‘Hardly Working’ but the reception was not what he had hoped. Roger Ebert called it “one the worst films ever to be commercially successful.”
