Earlier this week the newly-announced host of popular game show Jeopardy! stepped down from his role after past comments and sexual harassment lawsuits were resurfaced in the press.
The new host, Mike Richards, only made it nine days as host before he quit following renewed publicity around his past misconduct and lawsuits.
BREAKING: Mike Richards has stepped down as the host of Jeopardy! Official statement via Sony: pic.twitter.com/eJSwyBOXwN
— Claire McNear (@clairemcnear) August 20, 2021
Richards’ decision to step away from the role as host, but remain as an executive producer, came after his past lawsuits from work on The Price Is Right along with offensive jokes made on a podcast were brought up in the media.
A video uploaded by ABC News in February titled “Jeopardy interim host scores rave reviews” seemingly details that many loved Richards…but newly published articles say differently.
Clair McNear with The Ringer wrote an article about the misconduct allegations against Richards and detailed the remarks he made on a podcast called The Randumb.
In it, she describes how all episodes of the podcast were scrubbed from the hosting site just hours after the publication had asked for comment on the show from Sony Pictures Television and his agent.
Two hours after we asked Richards and Sony about the podcast, all episodes were wiped from the internet and the hosting site, https://t.co/RQsynWh1KT, was deleted. pic.twitter.com/kYqEuGIpae
— Claire McNear (@clairemcnear) August 18, 2021
She then quotes one of the comments and links an audio blurb where Richards asks inappropriate questions to his female co-hosts about their breasts and nude photographs.
The comments he made on the show spiral downward from there adding insults, mean-spirited remarks, and even some phrases that could be seen as anti-Semitic.
“It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago. Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry. The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. Even with the passage of time, it’s more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and I have removed the episodes. My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and I intend to live up to them,” Richards said to The Ringer in a statement.
His lawsuits, from the time spent with The Price Is Right, paint a similar but darker picture.
Last week Mike Richards wrote that lawsuits from The Price Is Right didn’t “reflect the reality of who I am.”
I went looking for who he is, talking to current and former colleagues and listening to a podcast he hosted at Price. What I found was troubling. https://t.co/A8AEsPHCMA— Claire McNear (@clairemcnear) August 18, 2021
Cinthia Littleton from Variety summarizes the lawsuits perfectly: “In 2010 and 2011, multiple models working on “Price Is Right” accused Richards and others of discriminating against them for becoming pregnant while working on the show. He was accused of making disparaging remarks about some of the women and for taking steps to freeze them out of the series.”
Because of all this blowback within a fortnight of Richards being announced as the new host, he has voluntarily left the show – quitting in hopes that it will not stand in the way of the show’s success. And as an executive producer, it’s highly likely the show’s success is directly tied to his pay.
Sony Pictures Television previously stated that they were not aware of the podcast’s existence until the piece by McNear was published – and added that they “hope that as EP he will continue to [lead Jeopardy!] with professionalism and respect.”
Well, just a few days later and the New York Times is reporting that Mike Richards will be allowed to retain his position as Executive Producer with the requirements that he undergoes sensitivity training.
Richards is also retaining his position as Executive Producer for Wheel of Fortune.
Sony reportedly hired a business and legal executive who will work with Richards throughout his sensitivity training to ensure lasting changes. That same report claims the entertainment giant had made the hire prior to Richards relinquishing his hosting role.