Mike Richards is out as executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune after controversies over resurfaced comments he made and multiple discrimination lawsuits against him emerged. The controversies emerged after he was named as the new host of Jeopardy!, and they never relented.
Suzanne Prete, the executive vice president of business and strategy for the two shows, announced the news in a letter sent to staff on Tuesday, noting that Richards' exit is “effective immediately.”
“We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks,” Prete wrote in the letter, obtained by multiple publications. “That clearly has not happened.”
In one 2010 suit, Richards, who served as The Price Is Right’s exec producer, a model named Brandi Cochran alleged Richards had a hostile reaction when she became pregnant. The case was settled in 2016.
Mayim Bialik is set to host the daytime show temporarily, and will continue to host Jeopardy! primetime, as previously announced.
Jeopardy!'s 38th season premieres on Sep. 13.
