Jerry Springer, famed for a long-running talk show with rowdy audiences, controversial topics, and fist-fighting guests, and who briefly served as mayor of Cincinnati, passed away on Thursday at the age of 79, according to his family.
His family said in a statement that Springer passed away peacefully at his residence in a Chicago suburb after a brief illness. There was no indication as to the cause of death.
“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,” Family spokesman Jene Galvin said in the statement.
