From members of the Ku Klux Klan and a murderer to unfaithful husbands and a stripper who slept with her sister’s boyfriends, The Jerry Springer Show’s guest list was unenviable.
The American daytime show, which ran for 27 years and spanned almost 4,000 episodes, featured a host of shocking, nasty and wild TV moments, including a groom who was unfaithful to his bride’s maid of honor.
Springer, the late former mayor of Cincinnati, who died in April of last year at the age of 79, called the show “escapist entertainment,” while others claimed it was contributing to a decline in American social values.
But despite the questionable guests, the show was so popular in the ’90s that it even managed to headline Oprah Winfrey’s show in several cities.
Now, the show will be explored in a new Netflix documentary, Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, premiering January 7.
It will explore the origins of the show and its meteoric rise, as well as the dark side of the ratings giant, and what really happened behind the scenes.
First-hand testimonies and revelations from show experts, including producers and former guests, will reveal the “destruction” the show caused.
Ahead of the new Netflix show, FEMAIL reveals some of the most shocking guests in the show’s history.
‘Klan confrontation’ (1997)
One of the biggest confrontations on the Jerry Springer stage was between members of the Jewish Defense League and the Ku Klux Klan.
The KKK appeared to argue over race and religion with the JDL in 1997, but, unsurprisingly, things soon took a turn for the worse.
One of the biggest confrontations on the Jerry Springer stage was between members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
The topic is believed to have been a sensitive one for Springer, the son of German Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis.
The KKK appeared to discuss race and religion with the JDL in 1997 with Jerry acting as moderator.
Unsurprisingly, things soon took a turn for the worse after one of the KKK members mocked JDL President Irv Rubin by revealing a kippah under his hood, causing an all-out melee.
The fight spread to include Jerry’s security and even members of the show’s audience.
‘Secret Mistresses Confronted’ (2001)
In 2000, Ralph Panitz caused a stir when he appeared on the show with his wife Eleanor and ex-wife Nancy.
The couple claimed that Nancy was harassing them, which she denied, and attempted to humiliate her by calling her “fat” and “old.”
But the story took a tragic turn when it was learned that a few hours after the show, Ralph beat Nancy, 52, to death in her Sarasota home.
Ralph Panitz appeared on the show with his wife Eleanor and ex-wife Nancy in 2000 in an episode titled ‘Secret Mistresses Confronted.’
The story took a tragic turn when it emerged that just hours after the show, Ralph (pictured) beat 52-year-old Nancy to death in her Sarasota home.
Ralph, then 43, was sentenced to life in prison when the judge scolded Jerry Springer and the show for “manipulation.”
Nancy’s son, Jeffrey, filed a lawsuit against the show shortly thereafter on behalf of her estate.
He blamed the show for escalating the former couple’s stormy relationship that ultimately ended in murder.
At the time, the Campbells’ attorneys had predicted damages of more than $25 million, but they ultimately failed to reach an agreement.
‘You slept with my stripper sister’ (2011)
One of the most popular clips from The Jerry Springer Show is undoubtedly the encounter titled ‘You slept with my stripper sister’.
The explosive segment saw a stripper tell her crying sister that she had sex with her boyfriend after a drunken night out.
And despite trying to apologize half-heartedly, distraught Sister Christina was having none of it.
The crowd was on Christina’s side when she revealed that the stripper had developed something of a habit: She had already slept with two of her boyfriends in the past.
One of the most popular clips from The Jerry Springer Show is undoubtedly the encounter titled ‘You slept with my stripper sister’.
When Christina’s boyfriend came out to argue that it was just a ‘mistake’, he also received a hard slap in the face.
The duo brawled fiercely and the crowd heckled as strands of her hair extensions were pulled out and derogatory insults were exchanged.
When Christina’s boyfriend came out to apologize but argued that it was just a “mistake,” he also received a hard slap in the face.
‘4 children with 3 women…’
Another popular clip from The Jerry Springer Show is when Dean brought his fiancee Tilita on the show to reveal that he had had multiple affairs and introduce her to his new girlfriend.
Dean, who never told his new girlfriend Stephanie that he was engaged, said Tilita can no longer “work” and can no longer satisfy his self-proclaimed “horse dog.”
Interestingly, Dean claimed that he was only 14 and Tilita was 17 when they started chatting online.
The couple met when he was 18 and had two children together. Dean revealed that he has two more children with two other women.
On the show, Dean revealed that he no longer loved Tilita even though he had only asked her to marry him two weeks earlier.
Another popular clip from The Jerry Springer Show is when Dean brought his fiancee Tilita on the show to reveal that he had had multiple affairs and introduce her to his new girlfriend.
He also started dating his new girlfriend two months before proposing to Tilita because he wanted to ‘fight for their relationship.’
After Tilita revealed that Dean had only contributed $10 to his children over the years, the crowd was on her side and chanted “you suck.”
However, things heated up when Stephanie joined the couple on stage and a fight broke out between the women, prompting production security to intervene.
‘The bridesmaid sleeps with the groom!’
Elsewhere, a bridesmaid came on the show to reveal that she had been sleeping with her best friend’s fiancé for several months.
Dreeka wanted to make sure that her friend, TK, who was the bride, didn’t go through with the wedding because of the secrecy.
TK, who was wearing her wedding dress, immediately confronted Dreeka and the pair got into a physical fight in front of a cheering audience.
Meanwhile, her fiancé Tyree arrived dressed in his wedding suit and confessed to having had multiple affairs.
Elsewhere, a bridesmaid came on the show to reveal that she had been sleeping with her best friend’s fiancé for several months.
Tyree claimed that he never wanted to marry TK and slept with Dreeka because TK was away when she was at school.
Tyree said he was used to having five or six women at a time and is “not used to being faithful.”
In a strange ending, 18-year-old Tyree decided to rap his breakup message to TK, but he couldn’t remember the lyrics.
After a third attempt at the awkward rap, the crowd started laughing and Jerry decided to take a commercial break.
‘My boyfriend calls me fat and ugly… but I love him!’
Cordelia went on the show to ask the producers for a makeover so that her boyfriend would love her again.
She admitted that she still loved him even though he called her fat, ugly and lazy, but she wanted to “make it work.”
She admitted that at first the relationship was perfect but since she lost her job he started treating her badly.
Cordelia’s boyfriend Jimmy burst onto the stage saying he still didn’t love her despite her glamorous makeover.
Cordelia’s boyfriend Jimmy burst onto the stage saying he still didn’t love her despite her glamorous makeover.
He admitted to having multiple affairs and claimed that the only reason he continued sleeping with Cordelia was because no one else was around at the time.
Jimmy aggressively yelled at Cordelia before introducing her to his new girlfriend Donna.
He stated that he was going to move Donna to the apartment he shared with Cordelia. However, Cordelia said she refused to move.
‘I connected with my wife’s mother’
Dusty went on the show to confess to his wife, Jennifer, that he reunited with her mother, Tammy, after a night of drinking.
He said he had been married to Jennifer for three years and they were raising four children together.
Dusty said he loved his wife “more than anything,” so he wanted to confess and try to fix things.
When Jennifer confronted her husband on stage, it turned into a fight and she said her mother was her “best friend.”
When Jennifer confronted her husband on stage, it turned into a fight and she said her mother was her “best friend.”
Tammy joined the couple on stage and claimed she couldn’t remember the night because she was drinking.
Jennifer’s father then came on stage and an all-out fight broke out between the two men.
Tammy apologized to her daughter and it seemed like the couple was patching things up.
However, Jennifer made it clear to Dusty that the relationship was over and that he would have to move out of their house.