The Jenny Jones Talk Show was one of the most popular 90s television shows. The set witnessed how something as simple as a crush confession turned things ugly not only for the two people involved but also for the talk show. What happened to the show?
The Canadian-American talk show was aired from 1991 to 2003. Jenny Jones, the comedian and singer hosted the daytime talk show for about 12 seasons. The Telepictures and Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment production was distributed by Warner Bros and was shot at the WMAQ-TV in Chicago. It started as a mild talk show but did not receive good ratings. Later Jones covered more intense topics. The show witnessed bullies being confronted, neighbors’ arguments, teens sent to Bootcamp, and even paternity tests. Simple topics like confessing crushes, giving makeovers, and mimicking celebrities were also dealt with. Just like that, one day, a simple confession brought death to one of the participants.
It changed people’s confessions completely. It was shocking to see how something seemingly non-threatening can turn violent so fast.
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How Did The Crush Confession Turned Murderous?
It was 6th March of 1995 when the unreleased episode of Jenny Jones Talk Show was filmed. Completely oblivious of what will happen three days later, Scott Amedure attended the show with his acquaintance Jonathan Schmitz. The episode titled “Same Sex Secret Crushes” had people come over and confess their gay crushes.
Scott Amedure was a gay man who confessed his crush on Schmitz. Reportedly, Schmitz assumed that another woman in the show would confess to him and not Scott. At the moment, he laughed it off and claimed to be “definitely heterosexual”, but three days later, Schmitz killed Scott by shooting him as a result of that confession. Schmitz later turned himself to the police and confessed his guilt. He claimed that the sudden public confession embarrassed him, which is the reason for his action. Later he was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison for second-degree murder but was released after 22 years on parole in August 2017.
Aftermath Of The Incident
After Schmitz’s confession, a criminal trial was held. But it didn’t stop at that. Scott Amedure’s family filed a lawsuit against the show. Jenny Jones had to appear in court to be questioned. She was asked if Schmitz permitted them to embarrass him on national television or if they ran a background check. Jones replied to both the questions negatively. This incident led to the making of a Netflix documentary series called “Trial By Media.” The last episode of Jenny Jones Talk Show was hosted in May 2003 after the lawsuit was overturned in 2002. During the last few days, the show was facing lower ratings and was eventually canceled. According to Dino Corbin, the former general manager, he had to remove the show because of the constant backlash it received. He said that the backlash was not due to the murder but a result of its offensive content.
Also read: Netflix’s Trial by Media: Scott Amedure’s Murder And The Birth Of Reality TV
How Is Jenny Jones Doing Now?
Before getting strangled by scandals, Jenny Jones got to spend a lot of time on television. Her talk show was gaining popularity before the murder incident. But afterward, the show lost a large number of viewers and eventually died down. Jones was always fond of cooking. After she withdrew herself from the limelight, she decided to go back to cooking. Jenny Jones now has a YouTube channel and a blog called ‘Jenny Can Cook.’ On the channel, she posts her cooking vlogs. Like cooking, she also found a hobby in creating cooking vlogs. Jones wanted to help her fans through simple cooking recipes. In 2006, she published a cookbook as well.
“It makes me so happy because it means that my little home videos are helping people eat healthy home-cooked meals,” she wrote in a post to thank her fans. She added that the fans’ love and support were the best gifts she had ever received. Jones has been an advocate for women’s health since the beginning of the 1990s. She was once involved with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as an honorary chairperson of Race for the Cure. In 2005, Jones became the founder of The Jenny Jones Foundation, which helps people with women’s health and education. The 76-year-old has dealt with a lot, and we wish her all the best for her next journey.
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