A Judge Who’s Lived Multiple Lives
In her courtroom, Judge Judy is always in control. She rules her kingdom with an iron fist. But outside of the courtroom, things are more complicated. Her drama, from romances to lawsuits, deserve their own segments on her show.
1. She Was Daddy’s Girl
In 1942, Judith Susan Blum was born in Brooklyn. Her dad was a dentist, and her mom was an office manager. She had a special bond with her father, believing him to be "the greatest thing since sliced bread". With a stable and happy childhood, Judy set her sights high, dreaming of becoming a lawyer. It was no surprise when she became a government major at American University, then went off to New York Law School in 1963.
There, she noticed a trend among her friends.
Susan Roberts, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Felt Pressured
It didn't take long for her to notice that all of her friends were getting married and having children. Judy, only 20 and still in school, wasn’t immune to the pressure. It was the 1960s after all. Enter, Ronald Levy, an older, well-established lawyer—and quite the catch. Not only was he a nice guy, he was also a good dancer. Judy figured she could do worse. She knew what she had to do.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
3. She Felt Obligated
Judy, feeling the pressure to keep up with her circle, pursued Ronald. The couple moved quickly, tying the knot in 1964. As soon as she finished school, she got a job as a lawyer for a cosmetics company. But Judy soon gave it all up to become a house wife and a stay at home mom of two. Ronald had no issues with this, but naturally, Judy got bored. She began looking for an escape.
4. She Came Back
Judy admits that having a young family was always her goal, and her career always came second. But something inside of her changed. She suddenly realized she could have both: a family and a career. So, Judy went back to school to study family law at NYU—and made some important connections. With her degree still hot in her hand, Judy was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: a prosecutor for the New York family court system. Jackpot! She knew she could juggle kids, a husband, and a career.
But it wasn’t that simple.
Wil Fyfordy, Wikimedia Commons
5. She Was Determined
Judy believed she could have it all—and she wanted it all. The career, the kids, and the husband. She firmly believed that if she worked hard enough, she could have both. While her family was of utmost importance, she had that itch for independence, and owed it to herself to try.
But Judy soon ran into a problem no amount of hard work could solve.
6. She Wasn’t Supported
Judy was an unstoppable force, while her husband was an immovable object. Ronald believed Judy’s real jobs were as mother and wife, and that her true calling was to support him in his career. Even though they worked in the same field, and she was as capable as him. Ronald refused to treat her career as anything more than a hobby. Judy’s resentment grew until she snapped.
7. She Got Divorced
Judy accepted she couldn’t have it all—at least with Ronald. After 12 years of marriage, they divorced in 1976. Though she still believed him to be a "lovely, lovely man", she realized he was simply the wrong man. Ronald’s attitude towards her career was a dealbreaker for the. At 34 years old, she wanted, no needed, a supportive partner. It didn’t take long for her to move on.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
8. She Met A Guy
Judy wasn’t looking for love, but it found her the same year she got divorced. Jerry Sheindlin, a defense lawyer, was discussing one of his cases with a reporter at a bar when Judy walked in. The reporter happened to be a mutual friend. So, when Judy noticed Jerry, she sauntered up to him, shoved a finger in his face, and said, "And who is this?"
His response caught Judy off guard.
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9. She Met Her Match
Without missing a beat, Jerry replied “Lady, get your finger out of my face”. It was sparks at first sight. Their meet ugly had a cute ending. The 34-year-old prosecutor and the 43-year-old defense lawyer became inseparable. They would’ve been couple goals, except there was a catch: Jerry had a wife and three kids. Yikes.
10. She Was The Other Woman
Turns out that Jerry and his wife had separated years ago, but neither bothered filing for divorce. Judy accepted—okay, tolerated—this situation at first. Then a year passed and her boyfriend still had a wife. When he showed no desire to do anything about it, Judy finally snapped and confronted him. Jerry’s response infuriated her.
Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images
11. She Issued An Ultimatum
Judy declared, “I want to see your divorce in the newspaper or don't bother calling again”. Jerry fired back saying he was not going to do that, and insisted they could move in together anyway. Jerry wanted to take their relationship to the next level while remaining a married man, and saw no problems with it. Judy, a family law prosecutor, disagreed.
12. She Stood Her Ground
Judy snapped and told Jerry that he’d have to tell her father about everything. Once again, Jerry conceded “I’m not going to do that”. So, Judy took things to the next level. She whipped out a calendar and ordered him to “pick a date. Now”. This ultimatum worked: he finally divorced his wife, and they married right away. But Judy admits their marriage didn’t start in the most romantic way.
Hollywood To You/Star Max, Getty Images
13. She Remarried
Judy may have got what she wanted, but Jerry didn't make it easy. She confessed, "I actually had to drag him to the altar”. It wasn’t the most romantic way to start a marriage, but they wanted to make it work. Both Judy and Jerry brought children into the mix, creating a blended family of seven altogether. Not long later, Jerry was promoted to the New York Supreme Court. And once again, Judy had no desire to stay on the sidelines, no matter what any husband thought.
14. She Was Part of a Power Couple
Second time’s the charm: Judy finally had it all. The husband, the kids, and the career. In 1982, the mayor appointed her as a criminal court judge. Four years later, the city promoted her to the supervising judge in family court. Jerry was supportive…but their marriage wasn’t out of the woods yet. Its biggest test—and tragedy—was heading their way.
15. She Was Devastated
1990 was the worst year of Judy’s life: her dad passed. Judy, for her entire adult life, took care of everyone and everything. But the roles reversed now. For the first time, Judy needed someone to take care of her. But this isn’t what Jerry thought he signed up for. Judy hoped her husband would rise to the occasion anyway.
Marc Bryan-Brown, Getty Images
16. She Was Disappointed
It was the most important test—and Jerry failed. He couldn’t take care of her in any way. But Judy loved him and wanted to make their marriage work. She made her expectations clear: “I've been taking care of you for 12 years, now it's your turn to take care of me”. She thought this was a reasonable request. But his response was heartbreaking.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
17. She Had Enough
Jerry was clueless. He told her, “Tell me what you want me to do. You can't just say “take care of me”. What does that mean? Do you want me to carry you from place to place? Do you want me to buy you things? Do you want me to feed you? Do you want me to keep you warm?” After all that, Judy simply replied, “Just take care of me”. Angrily, he reiterated: “I don’t know how to do that”.
This didn't end well.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
18. She Warned Him
Judy went on to warn Jerry that, “Unless you change, we can’t stay together”. She made it clear that she’d leave him if he didn’t change. Jerry thought she was bluffing and called her on it, going as far as saying, “I dare you”. Judy served him the divorce papers the next day.
But the story of Judy and Jerry didn’t end here. Some of her rulings weren’t so final after all.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
19. She Lowered Her Expectations
Over the next year, Judy made two realizations as a divorcee. She always knew that her demand was reasonable. But now Judy also believed Jerry may not have been unreasonable after all. He was 55 and was used to a different lifestyle. Regretfully, Judy now believed that Jerry "couldn't even conceptualize taking over that role."
Her second realization was just as heartbreaking.
20. She Missed Him
Over time, Judy tried to move on and date other men, but it never worked out. She found herself missing Jerry, and becoming more and more convinced that perhaps they had made a mistake. In fact, Judy chalked the whole thing up to "most men are alike", and later joked about it all saying, "at least mine had hair!"
Turns out, the regret was mutual.
21. She Made Up
Judy and Jerry spent their divorce missing each other. So, Jerry took a leap of faith and Judy out. She agreed, and went on to tell Jerry all about her awful date over dinner. One divorce and one year later, they found their way back to each other. But things weren't official just yet—and this time, Jerry was the one who wanted more.
22. She Got Engaged...Again
For Judy, it felt like a lifetime ago that she had to browbeat Jerry into divorcing his wife, and then drag him to the altar to marry her. But now, Jerry was about to shake things up again. One day, he simply showed up to her work and spoke up, loud and clear: “This is silly. I'm uncomfortable being with you all the time and not being married to you. Let's get married again”. Stunned, Judy replied “Well, how are we going to do that?”
23. She Married The Same Guy
Jerry was already one step ahead of her. The clerk's office was just up the street, they could go right then and get a license. And they did. Judy and Jerry raced to remarry that same day, expediting the paperwork, finding a judge friend to officiate, and setting up a courthouse ceremony.
Once again, there was nothing romantic about any of it. But when it became time to say their vows—things took an awkward turn.
24. She Changed The Words
Judy forgave, but she didn’t forget. When the officiant asked Jerry “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife forever—in good times and bad, in sickness and in health?” Jerry said yes. But when the officiant asked the same to Judy, she said something completely unexpected. This time, Judy knew better. After taking a moment, Judy simply replied, “In good times, or forget it”. Lucky for Jerry, a lot of good times were heading their way.
25. She Was Rejected
After The People’s Court fired Joseph Wapner in 1993, Judy pounced. The 51-year-old judge called up the producers. One of their receptionists answered the phone. Judy pitched herself as the TV judge’s replacement. It didn’t work. The receptionist responded “Are you crazy, lady?” and hung up. But that wasn't the last they'd hear of Judy.
26. She Became Famous
Judy had a reputation, in local and legal circles, of being one of the country’s toughest family court judges. It went national when 60 Minutes aired a segment on her in 1993. The feature led to a TV offer and a book deal—and her clashing with the publishing company on her unhinged title. Judy refused to budge on Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining.
Judge Judy Before TV: A Profile of Judith at Work (1993), Manufacturing Intellect
27. She Started A New Life
Judy wanted more—and she got more. 1996 was a whirlwind year. Not only was her book an instant hit, she also retired as a judge after hearing over 20,000 cases. Judy was 54 years old, but her life was just beginning. New things were on the horizon, including Judge Judy, her new reality courtroom show. But Judy’s expectations for her show and second career were not what you'd expect.
28. She Had Low Expectations
Judy and Jerry were public servants, and were generous with their kids. This meant they weren’t looking at a luxurious retirement. Judy did the show to grow their nest egg, but knew most shows flopped. So, she hoped that Judge Judy could last three, even four, years. That should be enough for them to retire and buy a two-bedroom apartment in Florida. Well Judy got that—and then some.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
29. She Made It
Judge Judy skyrocketed to the top of all court shows: nine to ten million viewers every day became the norm. The show revived the genre, and had no real competition. Judy won awards and broke records. But perhaps most impressive was Judy’s reputation. One poll found Americans trusted her more than any Supreme Court judge. Judy was the main character—and knew it. This led to what some would call diva behavior.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
30. She Was Strict
She had a routine every three years when it was time to renew and negotiate her contract. Judy wrote down the salary she wanted and sealed it in an envelope. Then she and the president of CBS Television Distribution went for dinner. She’d give him the envelope at the end of the meal. This is how it always went. Until one year, he tried breaking the tradition.
Charles Eshelman, Getty Images
31. She Was Demanding
One year, the CBS executive presented her with his own envelope. Judy refused to open it, and informed him "This isn’t a negotiation". She made this clear from the beginning: "Don’t treat me as a paid employee. I could make this show without you…but you can’t make it without me." Even still, her salary was shocking.
32. She Made Serious Bank
Judy’s days as a public servant were well behind her. She made millions early on in the show, but things got crazy in 2012. From that point on, she was making $46 million a year. On top of that, she only worked 52 days a year. This meant Judy made over $900,000 each working day. She was one of television’s highest paid stars, and knew how to spend her riches.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
33. She Has A Lavish Life
Judy once dreamed of buying a modest Florida apartment to retire in—only to end up with a real estate portfolio worth tens of millions. It includes homes in New York, Florida, California, and Wyoming. When Judy worked on Judge Judy, she commuted to Los Angeles every other week from one of her other homes. But many wondered how real the show was.
34. She Was Entertaining
Don’t let the courtroom set and theatrics fool you: these aren’t real trials. The cases and the participants were real (well they were supposed to be). Judy was a real judge of course—but she was a retired one. On the show, she was an arbitrator. In arbitration, both parties agree to respect the ruling. So why did people sign up to air out their dirty laundry on national television? Well, Judy gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
35. She Was Generous
The show offered to fly guests to LA, but that wasn't all they offered. They also paid appearances fees, daily wages, and travel expenses of both sides. On top of that, they even paid the judgement, which was up to $4,000 in small claims court, for the losing party. This meant people could settle disputes without paying anything out of pocket.
But this generosity opened things up to the wrong people.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
36. She Was Lied To
In 2010, there was a legendary Judge Judy case that involved four people, two TVs, and a deceased cat. It seemed too crazy to be true. And that’s because it was. Four roommates in Baltimore plotted to finesse a free trip and some cash. They told producers that Jonathan got a little too tipsy at Kate’s house and smashed two TVs. One fell onto her cat (named Trips), ending his life. They thought this would hit the jackpot.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
37. She Was Duped
The roommates got to LA and realized the producers might’ve caught them. The producer quietly explained that the show wouldn’t compensate the restaurant receipts if they ate at the same one. They were supposed to hate each other, after all. The group suspected this was the producer’s way of warning them to keep up the act.
Then, it was show time.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
38. She Played Along
Shortly before the show, one of the young guys involved told his fellow con artist friends that he no longer worried about what was going to happen, he just wanted to call Judy "mama" on television, just to see what she does. This plan was bogus from the start. But it didn't take long for Judy to catch on—and she was done playing games.
Judy, annoyed with the childish waste of time, went hard and actually made Kate cry on the stand. It was all over in less than 15 minutes. The group was still awarded some compensation, and Judy washed her hands of them.
Paramount, Judge Judy (1996-2021)
39. She Didn’t Feel Good
In 2011, Judy was finishing up a case when she suddenly felt strange. She began seeing double and speaking slowly. Her crew, whom she's been working with her 15 years, knew something was wrong and sprang into action. Naturally, Judy tried to blow it off, but her crew didn't back down—and it's a good thing they didn't.
40. She Was Sick
The producer called emergency services and refused to let Judy finish the taping. The paramedics arrived and immediately rushed the reluctant 69-year-old to the hospital. There, doctors suspected she suffered a mini stroke. Fortunately, she recovered well and hasn’t had any more incidents.
But Judy's life is far from boring.
41. She Got A Weird Lawsuit
It was only a matter of time before Judy had to deal with her own Judge Judy worthy drama. In 2013, Patrice Jones, the estranged wife of Judy’s producer Randy Douthit, sued her. Patrice claimed Randy and Judy conspired to buy her fancy china and cutlery—without her permission or knowledge—as a way to deprive her of her assets and get revenge against her. Judy allegedly paid Randy $50,815 for everything. But Patrice insisted the true value was $514,421, and demanded Judy to pay up.
42. She Settled
Thankfully, the group was able to come to an agreement outside the courtroom—but it wasn't exactly amicable. Judy returned the tableware to Randy. Patrice then agreed to pay him $12,500 for the items. Judy didn’t hold back “I don’t owe this lady a cent. And if this 50-year-old woman would spend her time more productively at trying to find a job, instead of abusing the judicial system with frivolous lawsuits, we would all be a lot better off”.
Judy would go onto filing her own lawsuits.
43. She Faced Awful Rumors
In 2017, the National Enquirer revealed three shocking pieces of information about Judy. The first was that Judy cheated on Jerry. The second was that Judy had Alzheimer’s disease and brain damage. And the third was that her daughter Nicole spent time behind bars. These all would’ve been breaking stories—only none of it was true.
Judy refused to let this go.
44. She’s Litigious
The National Enquirer picked the wrong celebrity to make up rumors about. They never stood a chance. The magazine ended up issuing a formal apology to Judy and Nicole. It wasn’t the first or last time Judy went after those she felt had wronged her. This included: the firm that faked an endorsement from her, the talent agency who pocketed millions, and the other magazines who had also spread fake rumors.
But one story turned out to be true.
45. She Called It Quits
All legendary things come to an end. In 2021, Judge Judy ran its 25th and final season. Judy was happy with her decision, explaining that, “25 is a good round number” to finish off with. Thanks to disagreements with CBS and a lawsuit from her talent agency, it was more bittersweet behind the scenes. And it wasn't yet the end.
The 79-year-old could’ve retired, but Judy knew she had more to give her fans.
Syndication, Judy Justice (1996-2021)
46. She Took A Risk
That same year, Judy filmed and released Judy Justice with Amazon. The show, another courtroom arbitration series, was similar to Judge Judy. But they made big changes. These included: increasing the cash awards, updating the set, Judy becoming more easygoing, slowing the pace, and focusing on a single case in most episodes. It didn’t go over well.
Syndication, Judy Justice (1996-2021)
47. She Disappointed Fans
These changes left many fans confused or disappointed. One of their biggest issues was the lack of Bailiff Byrd, who’d been a beloved staple on Judge Judy. It got worse when he publicly accused her of blindsiding and excluding him to save money. They eventually made up, but Judy Justice remained Byrdless. And reruns of Judge Judy continue to outperform her new show.
Syndication, Judy Justice (1996-2021)
48. She’s Still In Love
One thing remained constant throughout her entire TV career: Jerry. At this point, they’ve been together for almost half a century. Judy shared her two secrets to a happy marriage. The first was space. “You can’t spend 24 hours together” Judy explained. The second was attraction. She revealed, “I still like to look at him when he walks in the room”.
Even still, her importance lies in who she raised.
49. She Has Brilliant Kids
Judy's children aren’t doing too badly either. Three out of five have followed their parents’ footsteps. Adam became a district attorney, but now co-stars on Tribunal Justice, another show that Judy created. Gregory and Nicole are lawyers and partners at their firms. Jonathan is an impressive retinal surgeon. Jamie is a mystery.
It doesn't stop at impressive careers either. Judy has been blessed with 13 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Given this big, beautiful family, some have wondered why she hasn't retired yet.
50. She Knows What She Likes
At this point, Judy’s been a television judge longer than she was an actual judge. And she has no plans of stopping: “I’m not tired. I don’t play golf or tennis. I have no desire to learn how to play mahjong, chess or checkers. I know what I like to do. Why, at my stage in life, would I try to find something else when I already know what I like? And this isn’t a 9-to-5 job. I’ve still got the time to see the children I love, the grandchildren who are growing up very fast and the cute mate who I still get a kick out of”.
If anything, Judy is proof that you really can have it all.
Created by Iaguna172, Wikimedia Commons
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