Controversial talk show host Jerry Springer is being sued for the wrongful death of a man who killed himself after appearing on his show last year. (NBC Universal)
The family of a Kentucky man who fatally shot himself after appearing on the “The Jerry Springer Show” last year is suing the controversial talk show host and NBC.
The suit, filed in Jefferson Circuit Court last week, claims Blake Avery was ambushed during his May 8, 2018, appearance in which his fiancé told him she had been unfaithful and sold her engagement ring. The episode – titled “Gay Phase” -- aired May 24 of that year.
Avery shot himself on June 3, 2018 “as a result of severe emotional and mental suffering and anguish," the suit states, WDRB-TV in Louisville reported.
The former fiancé told Avery she had started dating his friend, who also appeared as a guest. The two briefly scuffled before being separated by show security, according to the news station.
“The Jerry Springer Show was designed to humiliate and exploit people like Blake, while the Defendants disregard the devastating consequences that their conduct can have on people’s lives. We will fight to hold them accountable,” Avery family attorney Brenton Stanley said in a statement.
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A Fox News email to the talk show was not immediately returned early Thursday. The suit also names Avery’s ex-fiancé as a defendant and requests unspecified monetary damages.
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