Judy Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 21, 1942 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Judith Blum, Judge Judy |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Television personality |
| Known for | Judge Judy |
| Spouse(s) | Ronald Levy (1964–1976;div.) Jerry Sheindlin (1977–1990, 1991–present) |
Judith Sheindlin (born October 21, 1942), better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, television personality, and author. After retiring in 1996 as the supervising family court judge in Manhattan, New York, she became famous for presiding over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy.
Personal life and education
She is NOT A REAL OR CERTIFIED JUDGE, SHE DOES NOT RUN A LEGAL COURTSheindlin was born Judith Blum in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish parents Murray and Ethel Blum; she has a brother named David.[1] Sheindlin stated in her autobiography that she had an erratic relationship with her mother until close to the end of her mother's life.
Sheindlin attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn before going on to American University in Washington, D.C. After graduating in 1963, she received her law degree from New York Law School in 1965. In 1964, Sheindlin married her first husband, Ronald Levy.
In 1972, Ronald became a prosecutor in juvenile court. She and Levy divorced in 1976 over disagreement about her career. A year later, she married Jerry Sheindlin, a judge and also a divorcé.
Judy and Jerry Sheindlin divorced in 1990; Judy Sheindlin has said that the cause of the divorce was the stress caused by the recent death of her father, with whom she had a close relationship.[2] They remarried in 1991. The Sheindlins have five children from their previous marriages and eleven grandchildren. Jerry Sheindlin performed the marriage ceremonies for all four of their married children.[3]
Although her show Judge Judy is produced in Los Angeles, Judy resides in Greenwich, Connecticut and Naples, Florida. She also maintains an apartment in New York City.[4] She is flown to California for the show's taping in her own private jet.[5]
The Sheindlins co-own a yacht, called "Her Honor," with their friends Denise and Brian Cobb, and were featured in ShowBoats International magazine.[6]
Author
In February 1993, before her TV show had begun, Sheindlin's outspoken reputation made her the subject of a Los Angeles Times article. She was subsequently featured in a segment on the newsmagazine show 60 Minutes, bringing her national recognition. This led to her first book, Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, published in 1996 by Harper Collins.[7] Her second book, Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever, was published in January 1999 and became a national bestseller.[8] In 2000, she published Keep It Simple, Stupid, and an illustrated children's book, Win or Lose by How You Choose. And in 2001, she wrote You're Smarter Than You Look, published by Harper Paperbacks.
Judge Judy
Sheindlin's syndicated courtroom series Judge Judy debuted in September 1996. The show met with instant success and made Sheindlin a celebrity, known for her stern, no-nonsense attitude and wit.
Despite her tough personality on the show, which Sheindlin claims is necessary for a judge to control his or her courtroom, many people who have met her in person have said that she is actually warm and soft-spoken.[9][10] Upon viewing a clip of herself from her show during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sheindlin commented, "Who is that woman? She's so nasty. I can hardly believe myself sometimes."[citation needed]
Sheindlin considered retiring from her show in 2005, following her tenth season in syndication. However, she signed a four-year contract that would take her through the 2009-10 season at the beginning of her tenth season in late 2005. Sheindlin said, "I'm certainly not tired, I'm not bored, and I'm not burned out. If I said goodbye after ten years, because the public said 'Enough', I would have been fine. I think the public is still interested. And I hope I'll be smart enough to know, at the end of four years, to say whether it's time to go."[11] In January 2008, it was reported that the show's renewal through the 2009-10 season (the show's fourteenth) had been extended through the 2011-12 season (its 16th season). The extension was made because of high ratings as well as Sheindlin believing that people are still engaged in the program. Sheindlin admits the show is "seductive" and hard to give up, but that it's unlikely she'll go past the 2011-12 season. As part of the renewal of the show, Sheindlin's contract deal was sweetened. Sheindlin is not at liberty to disclose the details of her latest contract. [12]
The 2005 four-year contract was worth $100 million, making Sheindlin one of the highest paid women in television history, with the highest being Oprah Winfrey who earns $250 million.[13][14][15] Sheindlin's net worth is $95 million.[16]
Sheindlin appeared on American Idol in May 2007 and May 2008. She also served as a judge for the 1999 Miss America Pageant.[17] In February 2006, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. References to Sheindlin as Judge Judy have appeared on TV shows including Will & Grace, NBC's The Weakest Link, ABC's The Duel, My Wife and Kids, Judge Mathis, Back To You, Fox's House and the Academy Awards.[18] Sheindlin also appeared on an episode of the sitcom The New Addams Family in 1998, and on the British comedy chat show The Paul O'Grady Show on October 9, 2008.
References
- ^ Judge Judy
- ^ Judith (Judge Judy) Sheindlin Biography - Biography.com
- ^ Rachael Ray Show
- ^ KIROTV. URL last accessed July 28, 2006.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2] Photos of Judy's yacht
- ^ Amazon.com book information. ISBN 0-06-092794-1. URL last accessed July 26, 2006.
- ^ Amazon.com book information. ISBN 0-06-092991-X. URL last accessed July 26, 2006.
- ^ The Insider Online: Articles tagged with judge-judy
- ^ Judging Judy: An Exclusive Conversation With The No-Nonsense TV Magistrate
- ^ TV's 'Judge Judy' Holds Onto Her Bench
- ^ Judge Judy will keep warming bench
- ^ Judge Judy Marks a Decade of Tough Love - MSN TV News
- ^ CANOE - JAM! Television - TV Shows: Judge Judy
- ^ Judge Judy - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine
- ^ Suburbarazzi » Blog Archive » How did Judge Judy make Forbes's list of the 20 Richest Women in Entertainment?
- ^ WCHS-TV8. URL last accessed July 28, 2006.
- ^ KIROTV. URL last accessed July 28, 2006.
External links
- Judy Sheindlin at IMDb
- Judge Judith Sheindlin at the Notable Names Database
- Judge Judy marks 10 years laying down the law, CTV News, February 15, 2006
- Biographical article from The Guardian, October 9, 2008