10 Controversies You Didn’t Know about Howard Stern

For almost 50 years, Howard Stern has been one of the most controversial figures in American radio, with him not being afraid to say anything that is on his mind. Despite the numerous controversies he has found himself in, Howard Stern’s radio show is among the most listened to due to his brash personality and frequent A-list celebrity guests. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Howard Stern.

10. Howard Considered Running for Governor

When Howard Stern decides to do something, he does it most of the time. In 1994, Howard considered a candidacy for governor on a platform that would have done away with highway tolls and prohibited nighttime road construction but ultimately decided against it. Stern’s decision to stay out of that fight was understandable, and he explained that he was reluctant to reveal his actual name or where he lived, so he wanted to help everyone else first.

9. He Really Doesn’t Like Gabourey Sidibe

After the debut of Precious in 2009, fans were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the entire cast, especially about Gabourey Sidibe, who played the lead. The fact is that Howard Stern has an unusual perspective, and he seemed to be concerned just with Sidibe’s height in this case. He did call Sidibe “the biggest, fattest black female I’ve ever seen” and said she would never act again. Gabourey Sidibe is perhaps best known for her numerous roles in American Horror Story.

8. He Also Isn’t a Fan of Wendy Williams

Many famous people have a habit of getting into tense situations. Since both Howard Stern and Wendy Williams are radio hosts who occasionally seem to like starting fights with other celebrities, it shouldn’t be surprising that they once engaged in verbal warfare. Although it was pretty amusing that he called Wendy a “fly” after implying that she lacked his “brain” and “talent.”

7. He Publicly Humiliated His Producer

We all know how upsetting it may be when a partner breaks up with you when they still care about them. This led Stern senior producer Gary Dell’Abate to make a public humiliation apology to his ex-girlfriend in 1998, begging her to take him back. Since Stern was as heartless as usual, he broadcast the apology to his massive audience, who no doubt took great pleasure in Gary’s misfortune.

6. He Can Give It But He Can’t Take It

Stern tends to expect celebrities to have a sense of humor about themselves, so you’d think he’d be able to take things in stride when they don’t go his way. However, in reality, if a star doesn’t play one of Stern’s games, he can act like a spoiled child. When Rachel Hunter discovered she would be recorded, she abruptly left his program. Stern continued to belittle her by screaming c-words and “she’s too big to model” after he claimed her most notable achievement was an intimate relationship with Rod Stewart.

5. He Has Made Inappropriate Remarks Towards Female Guests

When some women appear on The Howard Stern Show, they make it quite clear that they are there largely for the attention they will receive for their appearance and are prepared for it. When former Spice Girl Emma Bunton joins the show, she deserves the same treatment as any other male celebrity. Unfortunately, during their 2005 interview, Stern—51 at the time—asked Bunton if she was “wearing underwear” and if she went braless for him.

4. Saying the N-Word Live on Air, More than Once

On a recent episode of The View, Sunny Hostin addressed Howard Stern’s frequent usage of the N-word on his show, and Stern seemed taken aback. But the truth remains that he used the phrase repeatedly in more than one segment from the ’90s. Worse yet, Stern answered a caller who wondered how he could get away with using the N-word so often with the N-word himself, prefacing it with the words “like this.”

3. He’s Made Homophobic Remarks

Howard Stern’s views have shifted multiple times over the previous two decades. This is wonderful news, as he held some controversial views in the 1990s. In his book Miss America in 1995, Stern claimed that homosexuality “seems to be a technique for men in our society to evade the obligations of being an adult male.” This isn’t something that gets passed down from generation to generation. Each and every factor may be traced back to the mind.

2. He Joked about the 14th Street Bridge Plane Crash on Air

Air travel is generally safe, but it can have catastrophic results when anything goes wrong. In 1982, a plane departing from Washington National Airport crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, killing 74 people. A day later, Stern made a phone call to an airline and requested a “one-way ticket from the National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge” on air.

1. He Joked about the Columbine Shooting

Much of the world was in shock following the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 since so many innocent children were killed. In contrast to practically everyone else, Howard Stern concentrated on how attractive he thought some of the fleeing high school students were as he viewed TV footage of the incident. After all, he used his radio show to criticize their appearances while asking the attackers why they didn’t force themselves on their attractive female targets.