Judy Sheindlin

Judith Sheindlin

This article is about the individual. For the television series and the "Judge Judy" persona, see Judge Judy.

Judge Judith Sheindlin (born October 21, 1942), better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American author and television personality. After retiring in 1996 as the supervising family court judge in Manhattan, New York, in 1996, she became famous for presiding over her own syndicated courtroom show Judge Judy.

Personal life and education

Sheindlin was born Judith Blum in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish-American parents Murry and Ethel Blum; she has a brother named David. Sheindlin stated in her biography 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 from American 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, Sheindlin became a prosecutor in juvenile court. She and Levy divorced in 1976 over disagreement about Sheindlin's career. A year later, she married Jerry Sheindlin, also a divorcee.

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. 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.

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. She is flown to California for the show's taping in her own private jet.

The Sheindlins co-own a yacht, called "Her Honor," with their friends Denise and Brian Cobb, and were featured in ShowBoats International magazine.

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. Her second book, Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever, was published in January 1999 and became a national bestseller. In 2000, she published Keep It Simple, Stupid and an illustrated children's book, Win or Lose by How You Choose.

Judge Judy

Main article: Judge Judy

Sheindlin's syndicated courtroom series Judge Judy debuted in September of 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. 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."

Sheindlin considered retiring from her show in 2006, following her tenth season in syndication. However, she signed a four-year contract at the beginning of the season in late 2005, and 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." It's unclear whether she will continue the show past the 2009-2010 season.

The 2005 four-year contract was worth $100 million, making her one of the highest paid women in television history, with the highest being Oprah Winfrey who earns $250 million. Sheindlin's net worth is $95 million.

Sheindlin appeared on American Idol in May 2007. She also served as a judge for the 1999 Miss America Pageant. 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, and the Academy Awards.

Needle Exchange Controversy

In 1999, while promoting her book Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever in Brisbane, Australia, Sheindlin decried needle exchange advocates as "liberal morons." She also said there was "no point talking about how best to approach the problem since the solution is simple. Give them dirty needles, and let them die. I don't understand why we think it's important to keep them alive."

A chief executive of Queensland, Australia's Alcohol and Drug Foundation released a statement that "the arrogance of a TV celebrity using the tragedy of young lives struck down by drugs for her own commercial gain is nothing short of repulsive." Liberal American commentator Arianna Huffington slammed Sheindlin in her syndicated column with an editorial titled "The New Callousness." Three sponsors of the Judge Judy show, Herr's Potato Chips, Papa John's pizza, and a joint venture of Shell Oil and Chase Manhattan Bank, replied to e-mail inquiries that they would cease advertising on the program. The controversy also led to the launch of a website, DumpJudgeJudy.com.

Sheindlin releasing two public statements on her web site responding to the controversy. In a press statement, she said: "Anybody who thinks that I would advocate the government supplying tainted needles to addicts is a fool - and that includes journalists with an agenda. What I do oppose is a policy which even tacitly sends the message that we, as a society, approve or condone drug use and that includes free needles and a government sponsored place to shoot up." Sheindlin also told the New York Post, "If they're looking for me to say I'm sorry to the families who lost children or loved ones [to AIDS or drugs] -- absolutely. I feel badly if words that I used hurt them. But am I going to apologize to a [drug advocacy] group that has an agenda -- absolutely not. This group has an agenda, and that's legalizing drugs." Sheindlin added that she didn't remember her exact, original quote, but said it was changed or taken out of context.

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