April 27, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Jerry Springer, a former Cincinnati mayor and longtime tabloid talk show host, died Thursday at the age of 79, a family representative said.
Springer reportedly died peacefully at home.
“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend of Springer and spokesman for the family, said in a statement.
Springer began his talk show career in 1991 with what started as a political show. In 1994, a new producer introduced the more controversial format in an effort for “The Jerry Springer Show” to raise ratings, and it worked.
Episodes featured confrontational fights between cheating couples, fathers with paternity questions, and people who learned they were dating a partner of a different gender than they believed, among other themes.
In 2010, Springer reportedly told CNN “he did not mind being referred to as the ‘grandfather of trash TV,'”, adding “It’s probably accurate. I don’t know what the award for that is, but I think it is true that we were probably one of the first shows to present some of the outrageousness we have.”
Springer’s show ended in 2018, although it continues in reruns. He next appeared on “Judge Jerry,” which ran in 2019 and 2020 and ended after 225 episodes. Springer also hosted a podcast.
Springer’s family asked supporters to consider making a charitable donation or doing an act of kindness for someone in need to honor his memory, saying “As he always said, ‘Take care of yourself, and each other.'”
