| "Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush" | |
|---|---|
| The Jenny Jones Show episode | |
 One of the episode's title cards; guests Jonathan Schmitz (front) and Scott Amedure (back) are pictured embracing. | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 |
| Presented by | Jenny Jones |
| Production code | 413A |
| Original air date | May 1995 (Unaired) |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
"Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush"[i] is an episode of the American first-run syndicated talk show The Jenny Jones Show. Taped on March 6, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois, the episode was intended to air in May 1995 as part of the show's fourth season. The episode featured six guests who were invited to meet a self-proclaimed secret admirer. The guests, however, were not directly informed that their secret admirers were all of the same sex as them. Each secret admirer publicly revealed their crush to a guest, with presenter Jenny Jones interviewing the two afterwards. Three days after the episode was taped, one of the guests, Jonathan Schmitz, killed his secret admirer, Scott Amedure. As a result, the episode was shelved and Schmitz was charged with first-degree murder. The episode was eventually broadcast on October 17, 1996, as part of Court TV's coverage of an ensuing civil trial against The Jenny Jones Show.
"Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush" followed a rising trend of talk show episodes about secret crushes. Prior to their appearance on the show, all guests went through a series of pre-screening interviews. While the crushes were unsure of their secret admirer's sex, producers informed them that their secret admirer could either be a man or woman. Amedure's murder was widely covered by the news media and resulted in a national discussion over violence toward gay people. Schmitz's use of the gay panic defense in his criminal trial drew sharp criticism from many gay rights advocates. Amedure's family subsequently filed a negligence lawsuit against The Jenny Jones Show. The court ultimately found that the producers could not reasonably anticipate a murder resulting from Amedure's and Schmitz's appearance on the show.
The episode and its aftermath resulted in a national media frenzy. It received mixed reactions from audiences, with debate over whether The Jenny Jones Show held responsibility for Schmitz's subsequent actions. Jones and the show's producers defended the episode, claiming that the topic of same-sex crushes was light-hearted and that Schmitz's actions following the episode's taping were unforeseeable. The controversy surrounding the episode resulted in a national debate over the negative effects of shock value and tabloid television in the United States, which prompted some television executives to tone down the sensationalized nature of their programs. The episode and the subsequent murder of Amedure were the subject of several true crime documentaries.
- ^ Cooper, Mariah (August 23, 2017). "'Jenny Jones' murderer released on parole after killing gay friend who confessed crush". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "25 to 50 Years for Killer in Talk-Show Slaying". The New York Times. December 5, 1996. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ Weeks, Linton (November 1, 1996). "Jenny, on the Spot". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
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