Talk show host Steve Wilkos paid tribute to his longtime friend and mentor, Jerry Springer, who died Thursday at the age of 79.
Steve was a former Chicago cop and one of the security guards on “The Jerry Springer Show” before he started his own show in 2007 called “The Steve Wilkos Show.” The show is adapted from the “Steve to the Rescue” segment he once did for “The Jerry Springer Show.”
Although the two have been friends for decades, Steve claims that he only saw Jerry last month and had no idea that his old friend was battling cancer, or that he would die so soon.
Steve Wilkos Says He Saw Jerry Springer Last Month… And Didn’t Know He Had Cancer
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Jerry Springer was private about his cancer battle – so private, in fact, that even his longtime friend Steve Wilkos didn’t know he was battling it until he died. Steve spent ten seasons working on “The Jerry Springer Show,” which ultimately ran from 1991 to 2018. Over 27 seasons have been created, along with over 5,000 episodes.
Steve joined the show in 1994 and only left the show in 2007 when “The Steve Wilkos Show” began airing. In an interview on TMZ Live shortly after news broke that Jerry had passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago, Steve said that he and Jerry had been hanging out together for the past month and Jerry didn’t mention that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Still, looking back on it now, Steve says that Jerry “may have said goodbye to me” saying Jerry “hugged me like he’s never hugged me before.” He explained that the former Cincinnati mayor also seemed interested in reminiscing about “the good old days,” which is something they rarely do.
Steve Credits Jerry For Helping Him Meet His Wife, Rachelle
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Aside from his father, Steve admits that no one has had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits him for helping him start his own talk show, building his career, and also credits him for introducing him to his wife Rachelle Wilkos.
Rachelle is a former senior producer on “The Jerry Springer Show” and currently serves as executive producer for “The Steve Wilkos Show,” now in its sixteenth season. The two have been married since 2000 and have two children together.
Looking back on their friendship, the 59-year-old ex-cop said that Jerry was always there to support him and he even believed that Jerry might outlive him!
Steve Wilkos Was Hospitalized After Hitting A Pole And A Tree In 2018
Car overturned on West Avenue after hitting pole and tree Sunday, driver taken to hospital https://t.co/AN1ioDCvAu pic.twitter.com/bdeUJ78Ts1
— The Darien Times (@DarienTimes) January 21, 2018
In February 2018, Steve Wilkos admitted that he lied to TMZ after he was charged with DUI in a car accident. At the time, he told the store that he was distracted when reaching for his glasses, which resulted in a car accident.
However, a search warrant revealed that his BAC was .29% at the time of the accident, which is well over the legal limit. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he turned himself in. After being charged with operating under the influence, he was released after posting a $1,500 bond.
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Steve hit several poles and struck a tree before the vehicle overturned. Pictures from the crash show a horrific scene, with a black car lying on its side. Steve was hospitalized with minor injuries and “The Steve Wilkos Show” halted production while he recovered.
“My whole life I’ve struggled with bouts of depression, and on the day of my accident I had a complete lapse in judgment that resulted in me being drunk and behind the wheel of my car,” he told TMZ at the time. “This experience strengthened my commitment to get the professional help I needed and I recently completed an intensive medically supervised program.”
Jerry Has Never Been To Rehab… But He’s Open About Asking Whores!
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Although he never went to rehab, Jerry wasn’t the only one who suffered from the consequences of lapses in judgment. In 1971, Jerry was elected to the Cincinnati City Council but resigned after he admitted to soliciting prostitutes in 1974.
He held a press conference where he spoke about the incident, and his honesty helped him win back his seat in 1975 by a wide margin.
Although he considered running for the US Senate in 2000 and 2004, Jerry eventually gave up on the idea because he was concerned about the negative impact “The Jerry Springer Show” might have on his campaign and political future.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
