Jerry Springer was a well-known name in the television and political world. Apart from hosting the highly successful The Jerry Springer Show for 27 years, he also served as the Mayor of Cincinnati city in the late 1970s.
Even after all the fame, Springer mostly kept his personal life very private. Now that the talk show host has unfortunately passed away, people are interested to know more about his family. So, was Jerry Springer married and did he have any children? Read on to find out.
Jerry Springer: Marriage and Wife
Jerry Springer was married once in his life. His marriage with Micki Velton lasted from 1973 to 1994. The two reportedly met on a blind date in 1969 in Cincinnati. At the time, Springer was working as a lawyer and was trying to make a career in politics. At the same time, Velton was working at Proctor & Gamble in the city.
After four years of dating, the couple tied the knot in 1973. The very next year, Jerry was caught in a scandal with a prostitute; however, the controversy did not affect his marriage and his wife stood by him.
However, in 1994, when the host was climbing the ladders of success with his talk show, he and his wife decided to go separate ways and got divorced. Ever since Velton has maintained a private life and has made no public appearances.
While Jerry is reported to be married only once, he earlier hinted that he could have had a second secret wedding. The host mentioned his ‘wife’ in an interview in 2021 and said, “Well, so if I just keep looking for new jobs, one of them I’m going to nail. I’m telling you, wait till I’m 96, I’ve got an idea, I’m going to hit the nursing homes, and that’s going to be my tour.”
“No comedian does a tour of nursing homes. And I’m thinking if I did that, first of all, I wouldn’t have any problem then with keep telling the same old jokes. Because no one in the home’s going to remember you. That’s my new, in fact, my wife and I, we talk about it. And when we’re looking for a home, it’s got to be one that has a social program.”
Jerry Springer: Children
Springer had one child with his wife Micki Velton, a daughter named Katie Springer. She was born in 1976 and is deaf in one ear and legally blind. At the time of her birth, she had an issue in the nasal passage as well, for which she underwent surgery.
Katie attended Barat College in Illinois. She is now a teacher with a specialization in assisting children with special needs. She got married in 2006 and has a 15-year-old son named Richard.
Around the time of Katie’s wedding, Jerry had participated in Dancing With The Stars. On the show, he revealed that he wanted to learn the Waltz to perform at his daughter’s wedding. “I try to do all of the dances well, but this one is more important to me,” he had said.
For more news and updates, keep watching this space.