What Happened To Jenny Jones?
In the 1990s, talk shows ruled daytime television. Their grip on society, from kids coming home after a long day at school to housewives getting things done around the house, cannot be understated. One of the big shows of the time was "The Jenny Jones Show," hosted by Canadian-American Jenny Jones (per IMDb).
If you plotted talk shows on a scale of tame to scandalous, "The Jenny Jones Show" definitely fell on the scandalous side of the spectrum. There were episodes covering extreme makeovers, giving misbehaving teens a reality check, and delving into all kinds of family and relationship drama.
The latter gave the show an infamous reputation when two guests on a 1994 episode ended up the victim and assailant in a murder. During the taping of an episode, Scott Amedure revealed that he was attracted to a straight acquaintance of his, Jonathan Schmitz. Schmitz laughed it off at the time, but confronted Amedure about it three days later. The confrontation led Schmitz to shoot Amedure twice in the chest, killing him (per People).
A scandal of such magnitude might shut a show down today, but "The Jenny Jones" show pressed on. It aired from 1991 to 2003 (per IMDb). Many have wondered what Jones has been up to in the nearly two decades since.
Following talk show fame, Jenny stepped out of the spotlight
Jenny Jones spent a lot of time on television, so no one could blame her for wanting to take a break from public life. After the show's end in 2003, Jones laid low for a few years before emerging with her 2006 cookbook, "Look Good, Feel Great Cookbook: How Eating Superfoods Can Help You Turn Back the Clock with Over 80 Comfort Food Recipes."
Cooking has been a major part of the most recent stage of Jones' life. Her YouTube channel and blog, Jenny Can Cook, became a new platform for her to connect with fans, sharing easy recipes that would delight any cooking enthusiast. From 2010 to today, Jenny continues sharing recipes and musings on life. In June 2020, she celebrated hitting 100 million views and 1 million subscribers.
"When I made my cooking videos, it was just a hobby. I love to cook and just wanted to share my recipes in case some of my fans might be interested," she wrote in a post thanking fans. "I knew a lot of people didn't even cook but it was still fun. I watched as the number of views continued to grow and my videos were soon discovered by the entire world ... It makes me so happy because it means that my little home videos are helping people eat healthy home cooked meals and knowing I'm making a difference is the best gift I could have received."
Jenny also continues to do extensive work in philanthropy
Throughout all of her years in the public eye, Jenny Jones has made it known that giving back is incredibly important to her. Jones began advocating for women's health in the early 1990s after opening up about health complications she experienced as a result of silicone breast implants (per Jenny Jones). She became an as honorary chairperson for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Chicago Race for the Cure. She donated all the proceeds from her autobiography to breast cancer research. She even donated a mobile mammography motor coach to Chicago's Cook County Hospital in 2000.
In 2008, Jones started her own philanthropic program, "Jenny's Heroes," through her organization, The Jenny Jones Foundation. The program offers grants of up to $25,000 to people throughout the United States and Canada who are finding ways to make a difference in their community. In 2019, the organization came together to help California State Firefighters Association as firefighters battled wildfires throughout the state. Through Jenny's Heroes California, she was able to donate $25,000 grants to ensure smaller volunteer firehouses throughout the state had the necessary safety equipment.