Steve Wilkos says Jerry Springer didn't tell him he had pancreatic cancer during a get-together before his death: 'I think in his way he was telling me goodbye'

• Steve Wilkos spoke to Entertainment Tonight about Jerry Springer, who died on Thursday.
• Wilkos said Springer didn't tell him he was sick when they hung out one month before his death.

Steve Wilkos didn't know his longtime friend Jerry Springer had pancreatic cancer before his death and believes their last hangout was Springer's "way of saying goodbye."

Wilkos spoke to Entertainment Tonight in the hours following Springer's death on Thursday. Wilkos was the former director of security on "The Jerry Springer Show," which aired nearly 5,000 episodes between 1991 and 2018. He went on host his own eponymous talk show, "The Steve Wilkos Show," which is now in its 16th season.

The pair had known each other for nearly 30 years, Wilkos told ET.

Wilkos told ET that Springer called him about a month before his death to get together and smoke cigars.

"I really didn't want to go, but it's Jerry and I'm like, 'I want to see the guy and I love him,'" Wilkos said. "He never told me he was ill. And now, I think that night I saw him was his way of saying goodbye to me without saying goodbye. I wish I would have known. I think in his way he was telling me goodbye."

Wilkos told the outlet that he believes Springer was saying goodbye because they reminisced about their time together on "The Jerry Springer Show" — something they typically didn't do.

According to "The Steve Wilkos Show" website, Wilkos worked in law enforcement before he began "moonlighting" as a security guard on "The Jerry Springer Show." Wilkos starred in the series from 1994 to 2007 before hosting a spin-off TV series called "The Steve Wilkos Show" that same year, The Los Angeles Times reported.

"He embraced me. He hugged me like he had never done before and he was telling me he loves me," Wilkos said. "We sat down, and I think back now, we were reflecting a lot on the good times that we had, which we normally didn't do a lot, but this time it was a lot of reflection on the good times that we had together."

He added: "I'm hearing that he had pancreatic cancer, but he did not say anything to me. So, I'm really not sure. But if it's true, then he definitely said goodbye to me in a way that he was letting me know that that was the end."

A representative for Springer's family confirmed that he died on Thursday in his suburban Chicago home.

"Jerry's ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word," the statement said. "He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on."