Like most stars, Jerry Springer is extraordinary kind of life started out as an ordinary humble beginning with his family. Push down the anxiety of wanting to know more about his popular show, because there is a whole lot more to find out.
Jerry Springer refused to lay low after greatly dramatic inception. He proved himself a go-getter who would pursue his dreams despite being faced with the challenges of having an already tarnished image. Why do we eulogize him so? Find out more about the life of the famous media personality.
Jerry Springer Biography
He was born Gerald Norman Springer in London, England, in 1944 into a Jewish family muddled amid the horrors of the Holocaust that rocked Europe during the Second World War. The struggling family tried to escape at the time and finally succeeded in migrating to the United States when Jerry was only 5. Settling in the US, his parents; Richard and Margot Springer, saw that he got an education. He was enrolled at Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York, where his family settled.
Jerry who initially had an interest in politics, attained all levels of education including the tertiary when he graduated as a political scientist from Tulane University in 1965. He added a law degree to his credentials after he earned it from Northwestern University in the year 1968.
Commencing his political quest, he became a member of the Democratic Party where he campaigned for Senator Robert Kennedy. This was after he partnered with associates Grinker and Sudman to run a law firm from 1973 to 1985. After Kennedy was assassinated, Springer linked up with the Cincinnati law firm of Frost & Jacobs.
His political career rose to the next level when he was made the Mayor of Cincinnati in 1977, following an overwhelming landslide victory. He didn’t just come out of the blues to become the Mayor of Cincinnati; Jerry was elected as a member of the Cincinnati city council in 1971.
His glory days as the Mayor, however, came to an end in 1981 after some past skeletons fell out of the cupboard and damaged his reputation. Jerry’s escapade of patronizing a sex worker and paying in cheque came back to haunt him to the point of disfiguring his bright political career after the affairs were revealed by the local press.
Throwing in the towel on politics, Jerry reopened his journalism diaries which he ‘wrote’ during his days at Tulane University when he worked at WTUL New Orleans FM. Seemingly insignificant commentaries on a seemingly insignificant radio station WEBN-FM pushed Springer to popularity in the broadcasting field.
Springer became the News Anchor and Managing Editor for Cincinnati’s WLWT, an NBC affiliated TV station. The phrase “Take care of yourself, and each other” became his catchphrase for the station. His profound broadcasting skills not only earned him a pedestal among his counterparts but also brought him several awards and accolades, including 10 local Emmy Awards.
He went on to host various shows including America’s Got Talent, Miss World, Miss Universe, dating game show – Baggage, Investigation Discovery, and the famous Jerry Springer Show.
The Beginning of His Show
It was 1991 that Springer’s eponymous TV show kicked off. The show which was initially a longer version of commentaries and a mimic of a popular talk show The Phil Donahue Show, metamorphosed into an extraordinary sensation with a whole new and thrilling package every episode.
Guests on the show ranged from individuals soaked in accumulated rage from broken relationships and family disputes to other controversial matters, it was a platform for them to publicly trash out their differences. Trashing here refers to violent confrontations which could lead to smashing and battering without the presence of on-set security personnel.
To some viewers, it was a mini ‘Wrestlemania’ where wrestlers (enraged families, individuals) brawled their way to a not-so-certain consensus with a slight regulation from a referee (Jerry Springer).
The rough and ignominious nature of the program not only attracted millions of viewers but pushed its ratings above other prominent shows including Oprah Winfrey’s show. Another version of the show themed with a lighter approach was also aired in the UK in 2005. This was still a smash hit despite its modifications.
Is Jerry Springer’s Programme Fake or Real?
This is a frequently asked question among the public most of whom are viewers of the ‘Wrestlemania’ themed show. This is because the show breaks the records and standards of everyday TV shows with a concept so divergent and coarse. We are talking about a show that starts off with a title card warning parents to prevent their kids from watching the 18+ rated program.
A further breakdown; the show continues with Springer inviting the provoked and infuriated guests to the stage after he must have introduced a controversial event. A confrontation graduates to an altercation and then to a complete wrestle while the security tries to prevent the fighters’ from harming themselves.
From people deceived by their partners about their gender, to women scorned by their spouses’ infidelity, guests engage in fights over a series of controversial issues on the Jerry Springer Show.
This brings us to the question above. It may be easier to believe that the show is only scripted and has no realistic concept. It is also easy to believe that people who come on the show are trained and told what to do when they go live. But then, several attestations made by the show host have said otherwise. Jerry once testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the people on his show are real; real people fighting over real issues.
One of the proofs to back up this assertion by Springer is the 2002 legal incident when a suit was filed against the show host on grounds of instigation. The suit was filed by the children of a guest of Jerry Springer Show (Nancy Campbell-Panitz) who was killed by her husband after they appeared on the reality show two years back. They claimed that the lawless show constructed a mood that led to the murder of their mother.
Net Worth – How Rich Is Jerry Springer?
Jerry Springer remains financially afloat and relevant in his business of talking. His net worth which was estimated at 45 million dollars in 2017 is a result of his extensive hard work in broadcasting over the years.
Apart from his reality show, Jerry has tons of investments and endorsements with several big companies.
He also makes a lot of money from different shows and events which he hosts. He is a resident of Los Angeles, California but also owns a house in Sarasota, Florida.
Is Jerry Married, Who’s His Wife?
Jerry may be a broadcaster but he never broadcasts his family or personal business. For him, the family is and should be personal. However, the prying eyes of the media are able to grasp that the media personality got married in 1973 to Micki Velton.
He met Velton when she was working as a staff of Proctor and Gamble; things grew from platonic friendship to a romantic experience and the two tied the knot. However, in 1994, the couple got divorced. Their union saw the birth of a daughter named Katie Springer.
Sources say that Springer has not been married since his divorce from Velton.
