Who was Jerry Springer married to? All about his wife and kids as legendary TV host dies aged 79

Jerry Springer, the British-born American TV personality, journalist, lawyer, and politician, passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The father-of-one, who was married to media personality Micki Velton for nearly two decades, died at the age of 79.

The former mayor of Cincinnati reportedly passed away at his home in Chicago. Some media reports citing Jerry Springer's spokesperson suggested that the talk show host was in good health after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago.

After the death of the iconic TV presenter, tributes have started pouring all over social media.

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Jerry Springer was married to Micki Velton for almost two decades and had a daughter named Katie

Springer was married to Micki Velton for 21 years (Image via Arnaldo Magnani / Getty Images)

Springer is known for his eponymous tabloid talk show and his work on America's Got Talent and Judge Jerry. The man of many talents married only once during his lifetime to media personality Micki Velton, who has stayed away from the limelight since the couple's divorce.

Before Springer and Velton parted ways in 1994, they were married for almost two decades. The couple reportedly met on a blind date in 1969 and, after being in a relationship for almost four years, married in 1973. They also had a daughter named Katie in 1976.

Jerry's only child, Katie Springer, was born blind and deaf in one ear. She has been married to Adam Yenkin since December 2006 and has a son named Richard. Per multiple outlets, Katie is a teacher in Chicago, having dedicated her life to helping children with disabilities.

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Jerry Springer was a man of many talents

A look at Springer's life as a TV presenter, politician, actor, and lawyer, the legendary icon passed away at 79 (Image via Gary Gershoff / Getty Images)

Jerry Springer served as a political campaign advisor to Robert F. Kennedy and also hosted his namesake talk show. Kennedy was the legendary talk show host's political hero, inspiring him to join the former's 1968 Democratic presidential nomination campaign. However, the campaign was short-lived and ended with Kennedy's assassination.

Springer then started practicing law at Frost & Jacobs (currently known as Frost Brown Todd), a Cincinnati law firm. Coincidentally, he served as the 56th Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978 after starting his political career as a Democrat in the early 1970s.

Later in his life, Jerry Springer turned to a broadcasting career, serving as a journalist and political commentator. Eventually, he got the opportunity to host his eponymous talk show, Jerry Springer, which ran for almost 27 years from 1991 to 2018.

From 2019 to 2022, Springer hosted his courtroom show, Judge Jerry, which ran for three seasons. He also appeared in NBC's America's Got Talent as a host for the second and third seasons while working on various other reality TV shows.

Interestingly, Jerry also tried his hand at acting and acted in productions like Married... with Children, George Lopez, The Defender, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and many more.