Howard Stern basically cut himself off from his staffers and risked the end of his show throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The radio legend has always been open about his battle with germaphobia and his propensity for being a recluse, but the pandemic took his self-described illness to a whole new level. While every TV show and radio host returned to their studios for in-person shows, Stern continued to broadcast from his basement for years.
But things took a turn when Stern opened SiriusXM's Miami studios in person in May 2023. Following the successful shows, Stern even announced his desire to return to his famed New York studio to once again interact with his gaggle of wacky, well-paid staffers.
But Stern inching back into the real world after so long didn't him stop him from rejecting an invitation to staffer Ronnie 'The Limo Driver' Mund's wedding. Something that caused most of Stern's staffers and his humungous audience to turn against him and even brought Mund to tears...
Howard Stern's Complicated Relationship With His Employees
Ronnie 'The Limo Driver' Mund began driving Howard Stern back in 1986. Soon after, he became Stern's personal security guard and, more importantly, a Stern Show staffer frequently featured on air. This is mostly due to his entertaining short temper and his honesty about his libido and personal life. To this day, Mund also engages in a number of hilarious feuds with his colleagues.
But Ronnie Mund's May 2023 argument with his boss wasn't entertaining... it was uncomfortable...
Anyone who listens to The Howard Stern Show knows how built-up Ronnie Mund's wedding to his much younger fiance, Stephanie, has been. From his unconventional proposal to his history of acting up at weddings in general, every Stern Show staffer was eager for an invite.
Mund, being the good sport he is, invited practically everyone, including Howard Stern himself.
As Mund and other staffers have often stated, there was a time when Stern hung out with his employees. But that seemed to change with his shift in tone over the past two decades. The more 'adult' his show became, the more Stern appeared to withdraw from spending time with his staffers. Although, he continues to stoke the fires of their feuds and antics on air, much to the delight of his listeners.
But given how monumental Mund's 2023 wedding to Stephanie is to the Stern Show universe, the former Limo Driver expected his boss to RSVP 'yes'.
Mund has been honest about his affection for Stern. Including when he decided to move from New York to Las Vegas. This, paired with Stern's unwillingness to return to the studio, caused the pair to not see each other for almost three years. This changed during the May 2023 Miami shows, where Mund got teary-eyed as soon as he saw Stern in person again.
Without a doubt, Mund loves and respects Stern and considered him a 'friend' after spending nearly every morning together for the better part of four decades. But that notion was challenged when Stern colorfully rejected Mund's wedding invite in front of his millions of listeners.
Why Howard Stern Refused To Go To Ronnie Mund's Wedding
After months of discussion, Howard Stern finally revealed that he wouldn't attend Ronnie Mund's wedding. On May 10th, 2023, Stern brought up the topic on air...
"Hey, Ron," Howard Stern said on air. "I gotta RSVP 'No' to the wedding."
"Okay, good," Mund responded, clearly upset.
"You're happy about it?"
"Yeah, it saves me a big headache."
Stern went on to say that he doesn't want to say 'why', but he had a good reason.
"Yeah, I know," Mund responded before exiting the conversation.
"Look at him, all hurt," Stern joked.
"Well, he loves you!" long-time co-host, Robin Quivers chimed in. "What is he supposed to do?"
"F***ing, Ronnie, such a crybaby," Stern said before jokingly stating, "You come here and apologize to me for the way you just treated me."
"I do have a good reason," Stern said of why he wasn't going to go. "I actually wanted to go to Vegas for a bunch of reasons, mostly because my youngest daughter, I've always promised her a trip to Vegas, so I figured that I would shlep her along. She could go have fun with her fiance, blah, blah, blah. I had the whole thing worked out. But some stuff came up. I love Ronnie and I love that he's getting married. I think he's doing the right thing. But there's something conflicting."
Stern went on to admit that he shouldn't have told Ronnie on the air. "I should have called him, but I was a coward."
The self-appointed King of All Media then stated that he'd call Mund after the show. What followed was a tense exchange where Mund claimed that he would refuse the call.
"Don't call me. I know the reason," Ronnie Mund said.
"No, you don't know."
"Yeah, I do know."
"Ronnie, don't forget the good times," Stern said, trying to calm him down.
"Yeah, don't you forget the good times," Mund retorted. "Talk to your shrink about it."
"Now, you're insulting me," Stern admitted.
"Well, you're insulting me."
Stern went on to say that Mund is aware that something is going on in his personal life making it impossible to go. While numerous fan emails stated that Stern was just afraid of COVID still, the radio host said it was something different. There were also suggestions that Stern was actively avoiding running into former employees who Mund invited.
Regardless, the argument between Stern, Mund, and the fans, lasted for over a week.
Stern ended up calling Mund and apologizing for bringing it up on the air.
"It was awkward," Stern said on May 15th, describing the private conversation they had. He then addressed the angry audience, "Please stop writing me letters about what an a***hole I am. I am an a***hole, that's fine. Listen, here's the bottom line, if you knew me in real life... I'm a mess. I'm completely paranoid. I don't want to leave my house ever. This is before COVID. Anyone who really knows me knows that I've got real issues."
Despite this, Mund claimed that he thought he and Stern were friends.
"It's not because I'm a snob [and won't hang out with employees], I don't hang out with anyone," Stern admitted. "We don't hang out."
"We used to. Don't even go there," Mund replied. "It's not true. You really lost your memory, I guess, man."
As Stern continued to defend himself, Mund acknowledged that his boss was "getting hammered" by negative fan responses. But it wasn't just fans backing Mund up, it was also his colleagues.
"Ronnie spent 45 minutes with his shrink, talking about everything that was going on with not being able to go to the wedding," producer Jason Kaplan said to Stern on air. "Ronnie was so upset that he actually had a cry."
"Oh my god! Did you cry?" Stern asked Mund.
"Did I sit down and break down into a f***ing hysterical crying? No," Ronnie Mund replied. "Did I f***ing shed a little bit of tears? Yes. It was very hurtful, dude. The way you did things."
