The late Jerry Springer is the subject of a new Netflix documentary that gives a behind-the-scenes insight into the controversial talk show that made him famous.
Springer—who died on April 27, 2003, aged 79, months after he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer—became a household name as the host of The Jerry Springer Show, which ran from September 1991 to July 2018.
The show was often ripe with family drama, confrontation, controversial topics, screaming matches and physical altercations between guests while on set.
Despite The Jerry Springer Show's success, the TV personality joked in later years that he had "ruined the culture" through his memorable show.
On January 7, Netflix released the new two-part documentary, Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, which shares a behind-the-scenes look at the show.
An official synopsis states that "behind the entertaining facade lay some darker truths. As we hear from the producers and ex-guests of The Jerry Springer Show, a murkier picture begins to emerge of the destruction it caused, raising renewed questions about who was responsible, and how far things should go in the name of entertainment."
The documentary also shares a trove of little-known details about Springer—including his staggering net worth at the time of his death.
What Was Jerry Springer's Net Worth?
According to the Netflix documentary, Springer was worth $60 million when he died. This figure has also been reported by Celebrity Net Worth.
Former lawyer Springer earned much of his wealth from his syndicated show, although a number of other projects over the years would have boosted his fortune.
The TV personality made appearances on several shows and films, including The Simpsons, The X-Files, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2008 and The Masked Singer in 2022, and served as a host on Seasons 2 and 3 of America's Got Talent.
Shortly after Jerry Springer's showended, he hosted Judge Jerry, a three-season show where Springer heard real-life cases and delivered verdicts. The show was canceled in March 2022, and Springer then told New York Post that he planned to "try out this retirement thing."
Who Are the Highest Paid Talk Show Hosts?
There have been a number of talk show hosts who have drawn in eye-watering amounts of money through their TV ventures and other projects.
Among the top of that pile are former daytime favorites Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, who Celebrity Net Worth reports are worth $4 billion and $500 million, respectively.
Ryan Seacrest, who co-hosted and served as executive producer of ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan for six years until 2023, is reportedly worth $450 million.
As for current talk show hosts, Phil McGraw, whose program Dr. Phil was launched with the help of Winfrey in 2002, is reported to be worth $460 million. Less than a year after Dr. Phil ended in 2023, McGraw launched Dr. Phil Primetime on his own TV network, Merit Street.
Jerry Springer's Legacy
During an appearance on David Yontef's Behind the Velvet Rope podcast in 2022, Springer was modest when asked if considers himself the "granddaddy of reality TV."
"No, I just apologize. I'm so sorry. What have I done? I've ruined the culture," British-born Springer said, before joking: "I just hope hell isn't that hot because I burn real easy. I'm very light-complected, and that kind of worries me."
He added that he's "just a schlub who got lucky," adding that showbusiness was "never a thought in my mind."
Springer began his career working as a campaign aide for Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Following Kennedy's assassination in 1968, he worked for a Cincinnati-based law firm. In 1971, Springer was elected to the city council, before becoming mayor of Cincinnati six years later in 1977.
"After being mayor, I was offered the job to anchor the news for the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, and I did that for 10 years," Springer said, noting that it "was kind of a rational transition" to "go from politics to reporting to news to anchoring."
Springer then described just how The Jerry Springer Show came about, telling Yontef he was almost forced into the job.
"The company that owned the station where I did the news owned talk shows. So they owned Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael," Springer said. "Well, Phil was retiring, and so the CEO took me to lunch one day and said, 'Phil's retiring. We're starting a new talk show, you're the host.' So I was assigned to it as an employee."
Springer said that "the show took off" and he "wound up in showbusiness through no thought of my own."
"I don't have any particular showbusiness talent," he added.
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