Editing Morton Downey Jr. (section)

===Controversies===
In 1984, at KFBK radio, Downey used the word "Chinaman" while telling a joke.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/living-under-limbaugh/content?oid=914298|title=Living under Limbaugh |date= February 19, 2009|website=Sacramento News & Review|access-date=28 February 2019}}</ref> His use of the word upset portions of the sizable Asian community in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. One Asian-American city councilman called for an apology and pressured the station for Downey's resignation. Downey refused to apologize and was forced to resign.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Rush is On – But it's a Slow Start After Two Months In NY, Limbaugh Is Happy, Hopeful|newspaper=Sacramento Bee|date=August 31, 1988|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SB&p_theme=sb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0D88C82E30EE9&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM}}</ref>

Downey was sued for allegedly appropriating the words and music to his theme song from two songwriters.<ref>Suit alleges Downey stole song, Chicago Sun-Times, May 5, 1989, Adrienne Drell</ref> He was sued for $40 million after bringing then-stripper [[Rasa von Werder|Kellie Everts]] onto the show and calling her a "slut", a "pig", a "hooker", and a "tramp", saying she had [[venereal diseases]], and banging his pelvis against hers.<ref name="antinuclear">{{cite news|title=Zzzzip It|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=1989-02-25|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73782606.html?dids=73782606%3A73782606&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&date=FEB+28%2C+1989&author=Al+Giordano&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Zzzzip+It%3B+A+Liberal+Has+His+Day+on+%60The+Morton+Downey+Jr.+Show%27&pqatl=google|accessdate=2007-06-24|first=Al|last=Giordano|archive-date=2007-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001003553/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73782606.html?dids=73782606%3A73782606&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&date=FEB+28%2C+1989&author=Al+Giordano&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Zzzzip+It%3B+A+Liberal+Has+His+Day+on+%60The+Morton+Downey+Jr.+Show%27&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 1988, he was [[arraigned]] on criminal charges for allegedly attacking a gay guest on his show, in a never-aired segment.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.365gay.com/InTime/Months/12december.htm |title=365Gay.com |access-date=2007-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929121956/http://www.365gay.com/InTime/Months/12december.htm |archive-date=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In another lawsuit, he was accused of slandering a newscaster (a former colleague), and of indecently exposing himself to her and slapping her.<ref>Talk show host Downey named in defamation suit, ''Chicago Sun-Times'', December 11, 1988</ref> Downey punched [[John Melendez|Stuttering John]] during an interview done for ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'', while also shouting verbal insults at John,<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/CofhbZMmBnw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141207064813/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CofhbZMmBnw Wayback Machine]}}{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|last=Matlagning2009|title=2 Morton Downey JR|date=2009-07-10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CofhbZMmBnw|access-date=2018-02-28}}{{cbignore}}</ref> referring to him as an "uneducated slob". The situation then began to evolve into a brawl between the two until Downey had to be pulled off of John by security; the entire incident was caught on camera. When an ''[[Inside Edition]]'' camera crew approached Downey in 1989 to question him about his involvement in an alleged business scam, Downey grabbed the boom mike and struck the [[Boom operator (media)|soundman]]'s head with it.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=LA Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-01-ca-951-story.html|title=Morton Downey Jr. Scuffles With Television Crew Seeking Interview|date=1989-04-01}}</ref>

In his later years, Downey expressed remorse for some of the extreme theatrics of his TV show,<ref name="CBSDeath"/> as well as various incidents outside the studio, including the ''Inside Edition'' confrontation.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnbWVndI96Q| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024629/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnbWVndI96Q&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2020-12-25 | url-status=dead|work=[[YouTube]]|title=Inside Edition segment (6:35)}}</ref> However, he also said his show was of a higher quality than and not as "sleazy" as [[Jerry Springer]]'s [[The Jerry Springer Show|show]].<ref name="washpost"/>