Jerry Springer’s Health: His Battle With Cancer & His Sad Passing

The iconic talk show host died after he was reportedly battling pancreatic cancer. Find out more about Jerry Springer’s cancer battle here.

• Jerry Springer was reportedly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly before his passing.
• It’s not clear when Jerry was diagnosed, but it seemed to be a recent development in his health.
• Jerry died at 79 on April 27, 2023.

Jerry Springer died at 79 on Thursday, April 27. The daytime TV legend had reportedly been battling pancreatic cancer, according to TMZ. After decades on TV, Jerry showed little sign of slowing down over the years. Even after announcing that he’d be stepping away from television, he shared that he still had plans to host a podcast and make occasional appearances.

While Jerry was most well-known as the host of his own talk show for 27 years, he was notably also the mayor of Cincinnati in 1977. After The Jerry Springer Show came to an end, he went on to host the courtroom show Judge Jerry, and he even appeared on the beloved show The Masked Singer. Find out more about Jerry’s health here.

Jerry Springer Diagnosed With Cancer

It’s not clear when Jerry was first diagnosed with cancer. It was reported that sources close to the talk show host had revealed that he’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to TMZ. There’s no further information about Jerry’s illness available at this time. In a statement following his death, a spokesperson for the host said that he had suffered a “brief illness” when he died. They also said that he died peacefully in his home in the Chicago suburbs with his family. “Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried, whether it was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” the family said in a statement. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer often forms in the organ behind the stomach. It’s still not entirely clear what the cause of pancreatic cancer is. It is often exocrine cancer, often adenocarcinomas, although there are other, less common forms of cancer that can form, including ampullary cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Some treatments for pancreatic cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. It’s often difficult to detect pancreatic cancer in the early stages, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Pancreatic cancer is seldom detected at its early stages when it’s most curable. This is because it often doesn’t cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs,” the Mayo Clinic explained.

How Long Was Jerry Springer Sick?

While it’s not clear how long Jerry had been battling pancreatic cancer, he did speak about being healthy when his show Judge Jerry came to an end.  He admitted that he wanted to enjoy retirement while being in good health. “We taped Judge Jerry for the entire season, and I want to try out retirement while I’m still healthy,” he told Idea Stream.

Similarly, Jerry had said that he wanted to prioritize time with his family and said that he only planned on taking on jobs for set amounts of time rather than an everyday position in an interview with Fox, when he was on The Masked Singer. “If I get invited to be on a show or be in a movie that’s within a certain period of time, I do it, but it’s not an everyday job. I’m 78. To go into work every day is not how I want to spend my remaining years of good health,” he said at the time, although he admitted that he’d stay at work on his podcast. “As long as I’m mentally alert, no. I’ll always want to do something, whether it’s podcasts or political shows.”