Beloved talk show host and the former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer has passed away at the age of 79.
According to Springer’s spokesperson, Springer died after battling a “brief illness.” TMZ says that Springer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several months ago. However, recently his condition took a turn for the worse, and he passed away peacefully at his home Thursday morning in Chicago.
Springer, who later hosted the talent competition America’s Got Talent and a courtroom show titled Judge Jerry, was best known for hosting his own tabloid talk show. The Jerry Springer show aired from 1991 to 2018 and became well-known for its drama (and skirmishes) between talk show participants and the salacious stories that were shared. Never shy of controversy, Springer basked in bringing “trash TV” to the masses.
Originally, the Jerry Springer talk show was centered around politics. However, due to low ratings, Springer embraced sensationalism and saw the show’s popularity skyrocket as a result. He would later star in the movie Ringmaster as a talk show based on himself. He also had roles in The Defender, Happy!, Roseanne, The Simpsons, and a cameo in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Prior to his television career, Springer was a politician and journalist, famously serving as the mayor of Cincinnati. He later ran for the governor of Ohio but failed to win the Democratic nomination. He later considered running for U.S. Senate in 2000 and 2004 but decided not to run due to his talk show.
ComingSoon sends condolences to Springer’s friends and family during this time.
