While some of Howard Stern's ex-staffers may have a lot of anger for the radio legend, the truth is he's got a fairly positive relationship with his team. Many of Howard's well-paid staffers have been with him for decades. This is pretty amazing given the fact that the turnover rate for jobs in the entertainment business tends to be high. But Howard values loyalty and repays it. While the former shock jock is notoriously reclusive, he does have relationships with his staff.
Of course, Howard's longtime co-host, Robin Quivers, is the closest to him. There's no doubt that she's in a different category than everyone else. They're exceedingly close and there's practically nothing he won't do for Robin. She even credits him for saving her life when she was dealing with a nearly life-ending form of cancer. But Robin isn't the only staffer Howard has reached out to during a tough time nor is she the only one for who he has gone out of the way for. While Howard has been genuinely worried about a few of his staffers, there's one who recently gave him a bit of a scare.
The Other Staffers Howard Has Worried About
Before we get to the staffer in question, we have to mention that the self-proclaimed King Of All Media has made a point of being worried about a few of his staffers. Of course, given the nature of his show and the fact that the staffers have basically become an on-air talent, almost all of these worries have been shared with the audience live on-air. In a September 2021 episode of his show, Howard explained that his staffers are unlike those on any other show. They don't come from The Harvard Lampoon or any other prestigious place. They are depraved maniacs, super fans, and the type of guys and girls who just hang out at a party and are either making people laugh or getting laughed at. So, it makes sense that they're not always the most put-together individuals.
Over the years, Howard has made a point of worrying about one of his youngest staffers, JD Harmeyer, who Howard has claimed is like a son. Basically, everything JD does inspires Howard to share some advice or criticism. But when JD was dealing with depression, Howard made sure that JD had access to some help and had a place to vent. JD's prior financial issues have also been something Howard has been worried about.
Physical health issues tend to be something Howard comments about with his staff. And given that many of his staffers are overweight, Howard has made quite a few comments. Of the most overweight is producer Jason Kaplan, who Howard spent years trying to get in shape. Recently, it seems as though it's worked as Jason has lost about 50 pounds after being obese.
A different sort of health issue among Howard's staff is writer Richard Christie's supposed alcoholism. While all of Richard's drunken (and oddly charming) antics have been the source of great comedy on The Stern Show, Howard has expressed deep worry about the dependency on booze that Richard has had. Fortunately, like Jason's weight, it seems Richard has begun to get his life under control. Of course, he's had to now that he has two kids.
Howard Was Recently Most Worried About Ronnie
It's Ronnie 'The Limo Driver' Mund who has received the most amount of concern from Howard in recent times. This is because his verbose, energetic, and utterly inappropriate persona seemingly vanished at the start of the global pandemic. While Howard knew that everybody's moods would change because of the life-changing event that the entire planet is still coping with, he saw it in Ronnie the most.
In June 2020, Howard claimed that he was very worried about Ronnie who seemed exceedingly, and uncharacteristically, down in the dumps. This became relevant when Ronnie's plans to move from New York to Las Vegas were put on hold due to the pandemic. The ever-social Ronnie was trapped indoors and was feeling lonely, sad, and worryingly depressed. He felt his the final few years of his life (he's old) were wasting away as he was trapped in his basement.
This wasn't a one-off either. For weeks, Howard would be virtually checking in with Ronnie on air to see how he was doing. He even said that the two would talk on the phone privately. Howard was just that worried about him.
However, Ronnie did end up making the big move from New York to Las Vegas in the summer of 2021 and there has since been a massive difference in his attitude. But the move meant that Ronnie's time on The Howard Stern Show would be diminished. And, if the show ever returns to the studio, Ronnie would likely rarely be included. This signaled the end of an era for Howard who had plucked the man out of obscurity decades ago. First Ronnie was simply his driver, then his bodyguard, and then an on-air talent that fans are obsessed with.
While Howard is clearly unhappy that Ronnie has moved away and started a new chapter, it's also very clear that he's happy that he has gotten out of such a deep funk.