Being used to seeing Judge Judy as a straight-shooting personality on television, it can be hard to imagine that she actually has a regular life outside the courtroom. After all, 23 years in a popular daytime tv show is no joke.
However, at the end of the day, Judge Judy or Judy Sheindlin hangs up her robe to return home to her husband of nearly 41 years, Jerry Sheindlin.
How It All Began
Jerry recalls the first time he met Judy in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. According to the now 85-year-old Jerry, he was at a bar talking to a New York Post reporter about a case he was working on at the time when Judy came up to him.
As what people who know the television judge well would expect, she immediately let her spunky personality shine through. Jerry says that she walked on over to him, put her finger on his face and began asking who he was. He responded by telling her to get her finger off his face. They’ve been together ever since, Jerry said.
At the time of their meeting, Judy has just separated from her first husband, Ronald Levy. Their 12 years of marriage resulted in two offsprings, Jamie and Adam, who is also a lawyer.
And when she married Jerry in 1977, the judge gained three stepchildren, Greg, Jonathan, and Nicole. Two of her stepkids, Greg and Nicole, are lawyers too while middle child Jonathan works as a retinal surgeon.
TV Career
Judy’s career took off after their marriage. As a family and criminal court judge throughout the 80s, the now-76-year-old made a name for herself because of her ‘no-nonsense attitude’. She was also known for her sharp wit and fast decision-making skills.
Her popularity was further bolstered when the Los Angeles Times wrote a profile article on her. She eventually gained national recognition when she appeared in a segment on CBS’ 60 Minutes. Soon, Judy scored a book deal and subsequently retired from the courtroom.
Eventually, Judy was approached with a proposal for her to star in a reality courtroom show where she would preside and hear cases from actual people seeking legal advice. She accepted and ‘Judge Judy’, the show was born.
Breaking Up and Making Up
While Judy was experiencing success in her career, her marriage with Jerry hit a rough spot in 1990. According to the tv judge, they divorced because she felt like he wasn’t supportive of her following her father’s death.
Fortunately, they eventually patched things up and reconciled later that year to marry each other once again. Fast forward to today, the couple is still together. They reportedly spend their time in Florida when Judy’s show isn’t filming.