Revealed: Jerry Springer’s most unpleasant and aggressive guests – from the Ku Klux Klan to a murderer

From members of the Ku Klux Klan and a murderer to cheating husbands and a stripper who slept with her sister’s boyfriends, The Jerry Springer Show’s guest list was unenviable.

The American daytime programme, which lasted 27 years and covered almost 4,000 episodes, showed a whole series of shocking, unpleasant and wild TV moments – including a groom who was unfaithful to his bride’s maid of honor.

Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati who died last April at the age of 79, called the show “escapist entertainment,” while others argued it contributed 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 surpass Oprah Winfrey’s program in several cities.

Now the show will be explored in a new Netflix documentary – Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, premiering January 7.

It explores the show’s origins and meteoric rise – as well as the dark side of its ratings – and what really happened behind the scenes.

First-hand testimonies and revelations from show insiders, including producers and ex-guests, will reveal the ‘destruction’ the program has caused.

Ahead of the new Netflix show, FEMAIL reveals some of the most shocking guests in the show’s history.

‘Klanfrontatie’ (1997)

One of the biggest clashes on Jerry Springer’s stage was between members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

The subject is believed to be sensitive for Springer, the son of Jewish German refugees who fled the Nazis.

The KKK had appeared in 1997 to discuss race and religion with the JDL, with Jerry acting as moderator.

Unsurprisingly, things quickly took a turn after one of the KKK members mocked JDL Chairman Irv Rubin by revealing a yarmulke under his hood, causing an all-out melee.

The brawl spread to Jerry’s security and even members of the show’s audience.

‘Secret mistresses confronted’ (2001)

In 2000, Ralph Panitz caused shockwaves when he appeared on the show with his wife Eleanor and ex-wife Nancy.

The couple claimed Nancy was stalking them, which she denied, and tried to humiliate her by calling her “fat” and “old.”

But the story took a tragic turn when news broke that Ralph beat 52-year-old Nancy to death in her Sarasota home just hours after the show.

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 suit against the show on behalf of her estate a short time later.

It blamed the program for escalating the former couple’s stormy relationship, which ultimately ended in murder.

At the time, the Campbells’ lawyers had predicted damages of more than $25 million, but ultimately settled for nothing.

‘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.”

In the explosive segment, a stripper told her crying sister that she had sex with her boyfriend after a drunken night out.

And despite a half-hearted attempt at an apology, the distraught Sister Christina was having none of it.

The public was on Christina’s side as she revealed that the stripper had developed something of a habit, having previously slept with two of her boyfriends in the past.

The duo got into a vicious fistfight and the crowd argued as clumps of hair extensions were pulled out and derogatory comments were exchanged.

When Christina’s boyfriend came out to apologize but claimed it was just a ‘mistake’, he was also dealt a major blow.

‘4 children with 3 wives…’

Another popular segment from The Jerry Springer Show is when Dean brings his fiancée Tilita on the show to reveal to her that he has had multiple affairs and introduce her to his new girlfriend.

Dean, who never told his new girlfriend Stephanie he was engaged, said Tilita can’t ‘work it’ and can no longer satisfy his self-proclaimed ‘horse****’.

Oddly enough, Dean claimed he was only 14 years old and Tilita was 17 when they started chatting online.

The couple met when he was 18 years old and they had two children together. Dean revealed that he has two more children with two other women.

During the show, Dean revealed that he no longer loved Tilita, despite asking her to marry him only two weeks earlier.

He also started dating his new girlfriend two months before he proposed to Tilita because he wanted to “fight for their relationship.”

After Tilita revealed that Dean has only contributed $10 to his children over the years, the crowd was on her side and chanted “you suck.”

However, things got heated when Stephanie joined the pair on stage and a fight broke out between the women, prompting production security to intervene.

‘Honorary maid of honor sleeps with the groom!’

Elsewhere, a bridesmaid took to the show to reveal 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, would not let the wedding go ahead because of the secret.

TK, who was in 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 in his wedding suit and admitted to having multiple affairs.

Tyree claimed that he never wanted to marry TK and that he slept with Dreeka because TK wasn’t around when she was in school.

Tyree said he was used to having five or six women at a time and that he’s “not used to being faithful.”

In a bizarre 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 audience started laughing and Jerry decided to take an ad break.

‘My boyfriend calls me fat and ugly… but I love him!’

Cordelia went on the show to ask producers for a makeover so that her boyfriend would love her again.

She admitted that she still loved him despite him calling her fat, ugly and lazy, but she wanted to “make it work.”

She admitted that the relationship was perfect at the beginning of the relationship, but since she lost her job, he started treating her badly.

Cordelia’s boyfriend Jimmy stormed on stage and said he still didn’t want 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 claimed he was moving Donna into the apartment he shared with Cordelia. However, Cordelia said she refused to move.

‘I have been in contact with my wife’s mother’

Dusty went on the show to confess to his wife Jennifer that he hooked up with her mother, Tammy, after a night of drinking.

He talked about how he was married to Jennifer for three years and raised four children together.

Dusty said he loved his wife “more than anything,” so he wanted to come clean and try to resolve things.

When Jennifer confronted her husband on stage, it escalated into a fight, and she said her mother was her “best friend.”

Tammy joined the pair on stage and she claimed she couldn’t remember the night because she was drinking.

Jennifer’s father then came on stage and an all-out brawl broke out between the two men.

Tammy begged for her daughter’s forgiveness 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.