Katie Springer is the only daughter of the late Jerry Springer, the famous talk show host and former mayor of Cincinnati. She married Adam Yenkin in December 2006, in a ceremony that was attended by her father and his Dancing with the Stars partner, Kym Johnson. Here are some details about Katie Springer’s wedding and her life.
Katie Springer’s Health Challenges
Katie Springer was born with a rare condition that left her legally blind and deaf in one ear. She also had no nasal passages, which required surgery after her birth. Despite these challenges, Katie Springer never let them limit her potential. According to People, she said in a 2006 interview:
I’ve heard this story that when I was first born and they heard about all these problems, they just said, ‘We’re never going to treat her different, we’re going to make sure she knows she’s not different.’
Katie Springer went on to live independently, have a successful career, and start a family of her own. She credited her parents for raising her with confidence and support.
Jerry Springer’s Dance for His Daughter
Jerry Springer was known for his controversial and sensational TV show, but he also had a softer side as a father. He joined the third season of Dancing with the Stars in 2006, not to win the competition, but to learn how to waltz for his daughter’s wedding. He told Access Hollywood:
I originally told them no, I didn’t want to do it. I don’t know how to dance and I didn’t think it was appropriate. But then I talked with Katie about it and we thought, you know what, this could be a way to combine what I do in life, which is show business, with the wedding.
Jerry Springer and his partner Kym Johnson practiced the waltz with Katie Springer and her fiancé Adam Yenkin, and performed it on the show as a tribute to them. Jerry Springer said that his daughter’s life was an inspiration for him to take the risk and join the show. He said:
It’s not much different than Katie’s life. The lesson of life, which you teach your children, is that whatever hand you’re dealt, you go out there and do the best you can and you don’t worry about how good anyone else might be, you don’t worry about vanity of, ‘Oh, I’m going to look silly.’ Katie lives her whole life like that, so I can do it in a dance?
Katie Springer’s Wedding and Family
Katie Springer and Adam Yenkin tied the knot on December 16, 2006, at the Hilton Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati. The wedding was a Jewish ceremony, officiated by Rabbi Abie Ingber. Jerry Springer walked his daughter down the aisle, and later danced with her to the song “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker. He also gave a toast to the newlyweds, saying:
I love you more than life itself. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me.
Katie Springer and Adam Yenkin welcomed their first child, a son named Henry, in 2008. Jerry Springer became a grandfather for the first time, and was overjoyed by the news. He told Us Weekly:
I’m so happy. I can’t wait to spoil him.
Katie Springer and her family live in Chicago, where she works as a teacher. She has kept a low profile, unlike her father, who was a public figure for decades. Jerry Springer died in April 2023, at the age of 79, after a brief illness. He is survived by his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, who were his pride and joy.