Tributes from Jerry Springer’s peers poured in on Thursday, April 27 following the sad news of his death at the age of 79. From Maury Povich to Whoopi Goldberg, the stars of daytime TV talks shows expressed their condolences to the late creator of The Jerry Springer Show, which at the height of its popularity in 1998, beat The Oprah Winfrey Show in ratings.
“I am shocked and saddened by the passing of Jerry,” Maury said in a statement. “He was not only a colleague but a friend. We worked for the same company for decades. He was joyful, smart and, in his own way, a unique showman. I will miss him.”
On her show The View, Whoopi took a moment at the top to celebrate Jerry. “I’m not afraid to say it,” she began. “He was a great guy and he was really fun and that show is as crazy as it gets, but there’s a place for everyone here.”
Sally Jesse told People that she was “extremely sad” over Jerry’s death. He was a bright, funny man whom I considered to be a friend,” she added. “He will be missed.” Montel Williams also told the outlet, “My thoughts and prayers go out to Jerry’s family.” Even former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks gave a special shout out to Jerry, writing on Twitter, “He walked so reality TV could run 🥲 #trailblazer #icon #RIP ❣️🕊️.”
#TheView co-hosts remember longtime talk show host Jerry Springer who died at age 79. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/Od4Lcr0ENj
— The View (@TheView) April 27, 2023
One of Jerry’s longtime coworkers and fan favorite, Steve Wilkos, who started as security guard on The Jerry Springer Show before getting his own talk show, got deep with his tribute. “Other than my father, Jerry was the most influential man in my life,” he said in a statement to People. “Everything I have today I owe to Jerry. He was the smartest, most generous, kindest person I’ve ever known. My wife and I are devastated. We will miss him terribly.”
Jerry’s family confirmed his death with a heartfelt message on April 27. “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 and spokesman for the family said in a statement. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”
In addition to hosting his eponymous show for 27 seasons, where he once interviewed a man “married” to a horse and in 1998, at the height of its popularity, beat The Oprah Winfrey Show in ratings, Jerry was the 56th mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978. The Jewish immigrant, born in London, certainly made a name for himself in both politics and journalism after moving to America at the age of 5 and graduating from Tulane with a B.A. in political science and from Northwestern with a journalism degree, per Variety.
More recently, Jerry spoke EXCLUSIVELY with HollywoodLife about his turn on the Masked Singer where he sang his heart out as the Beetle. “I’m at a point in life where I’m lucky I don’t need to make a living anymore, so this was a fun thing to do. Why not?” Jerry told us in October 2022. “I figured my grandson would be laughing at me as well as my daughter and my wife and everybody else when they saw me.”
Just a month before, Jerry joined the HollywoodLife Podcast to chat about his latest venture as a small claims court judge on Judge Jerry and revealed if he’s ever regretted one of his rulings. “I do admit, there are times that I give a decision, because I have to… I can’t say, ‘I don’t know, go to someone else!’” Jerry explained. “The dilemma for me is, there is the moral answer and there is the legal answer, and they’re not always the same. Because laws are not always passed based on moral reasons, but I realize I have to fit within the law.”
In the same sit-down interview with HollywoodLife, Jerry also slammed the Conservative judges on the Supreme Court, calling them ‘secretive’, ‘gutless’ and ’disrespectful’ of women, after they refused to stay or overturn Texas’s 6-week abortion ban.
RIP to the late entertainer whose Twitter bio reads: “Talk show host, ringmaster of civilization’s end.”