SEATTLE (Reuters) - Jeff Smith, whose 'Frugal Gourmet' public television cooking show drew millions of viewers until a sex scandal forced him off the air, has died at age 65, his business agent said on Friday.
The former celebrity chef and Methodist minister had suffered from heart disease for years and died in his sleep on Wednesday, his agent, Jim Paddleford, said.
Smith in 1998 agreed to a $5 million cash settlement, mostly paid by insurance companies, to six men who accused him of abusing them when they were teenagers working at Smith's Tacoma, Washington, restaurant in the 1970s, and a hitchhiker who said Smith gave him a ride and molested him.
Smith, who denied the charges, sold millions of copies of his cookbooks and his show drew as many as 15 million viewers a week on 300 stations, making it the nation's most popular cooking program.
He lived his final years in Seattle in a condominium near the city's Pike Place Market, a popular open air bazaar.
Smith is survived by his wife Patricia and two sons, Channing and Jason.
wc0143
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
OHMIGOD!!! I used to LOVE him!! How sad!!
prncssrachel
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Too bad, but he probably should have spent the rest of his years in jail anyway. I am EXTREMELY unsympathetic to child molesters, so please excuse me if I'm not sad.
maiahsdad
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
Posted by 121502
Too bad, but he probably should have spent the rest of his years in jail anyway. I am EXTREMELY unsympathetic to child molesters, so please excuse me if I'm not sad.
damm right, as a chef...........he makes me boil.........
MrsK-in-June05
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Aww, my mom and I used to watch him every Sunday. My fav episode was the one with Elmo!!
prncssrachel
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Posted by maiahsdad
Posted by 121502
Too bad, but he probably should have spent the rest of his years in jail anyway. I am EXTREMELY unsympathetic to child molesters, so please excuse me if I'm not sad.
damm right, as a chef...........he makes me boil.........
I didn't think that what I said warranted a joke. And yes, I am being overly sensitive to this issue, it's something I almost NEVER do, but in this situation, I feel I have the right to be.
Robeymuse
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
My cousin used to work for him. He never molested him but all of those accusations are true!
janwinterbridejoy
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sad because he was a child molester and sad because he is dead and had children that im sure miss him
maiahsdad
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
Posted by 121502
Posted by maiahsdad
Posted by 121502
Too bad, but he probably should have spent the rest of his years in jail anyway. I am EXTREMELY unsympathetic to child molesters, so please excuse me if I'm not sad.
damm right, as a chef...........he makes me boil.........
I didn't think that what I said warranted a joke. And yes, I am being overly sensitive to this issue, it's something I almost NEVER do, but in this situation, I feel I have the right to be.
sorry.....it was not ment to be a joke......i really am not sad about his loss, what he did , well there is nothing good out of it, and so i feel there is nothing good about him...
prncssrachel
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
Posted by maiahsdad
sorry.....it was not ment to be a joke......i really am not sad about his loss, what he did , well there is nothing good out of it, and so i feel there is nothing good about him...
I'm really sorry if I jumped down your throat It's something that really hits close to home. My aunt's ex husband is now serving ten years in prison for doing the unthinkable to my little cousin. And he was a cop I only pray the same happens to him.
palebride
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Rachel - I'm the same way...some guy from my town ( I graduated with his daughter) was arrested a few years ago, and is still in jail for molesting girls from our town......he bought a store near the school and created a place for kids to hang out - and then he would molest the girls when they went there.....that sort of thing is truly disturbing!
prncssrachel
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Re: TV's Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith Dead at 65
Posted by palebride
Rachel - I'm the same way...some guy from my town ( I graduated with his daughter) was arrested a few years ago, and is still in jail for molesting girls from our town......he bought a store near the school and created a place for kids to hang out - and then he would molest the girls when they went there.....that sort of thing is truly disturbing!
Well, want to hear something disgusting? My school does not do background checks. We're private and they don't want to spend the money for the checks.
palebride
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ewwwwwww do the parents know that? would you ever send your child to a school knowing that they don't check? how scary is that?
prncssrachel
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Posted by palebride
ewwwwwww do the parents know that? would you ever send your child to a school knowing that they don't check? how scary is that?
I'm sure the certified teachers have their fingerprints because I KNOW they are not working in a private school by choice, but because they couldn't find public school jobs, but most people are not certified. Also, would you want to pay 10 grand to send your kids to a school with no background checks? Freaking rich people and their reputations. I mean, I can vouch for myself, but that's about it. But then again, a good crook doesn't get caught right away, if ever, so you never know. That's why you have to make sure you talk to your kids. On that note, I wonder if they still show those movies in school about say no, go and tell someone you trust. Hmmm?
