Judge Judy, 80, Is Proud Mom Of 5 Who Accidentally Sent Her On Guilt Trips

Oct 25, 2022

Judith Sheindlin, known professionally as Judge Judy, is America’s beloved television court judge. Known for her blunt personality and determined attitude, Sheindlin has become a fan favorite in the TV world with her show “Judge Judy,” which aired from September 1996 until late July 2021. She has become extremely successful for her courtroom reign on television and is even launching a spin-off series to continue to help people with their legal issues by presiding over a plethora of new cases.

Sheindlin grew up in Brooklyn, a borough in New York City, before going on to study government at American University in Washington, D.C. She earned her Juris Doctor degree at New York Law School in 1965, the same year that she passed her bar examination. While the former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge is most known for being Judge Judy, she is also a producer behind the scenes and an author. She has also won a handful of awards and accolades and has continued to be recognized as one of the best courtroom judges.

Along with being a notable figure in the courtroom, Sheindlin has also become that one special person to her long-time partner, who was also a TV judge. At work, Sheindlin had to deal with a fair share of problems in front of her as she presided over several cases, and her marriage has also had a few problems. However, both she and her partner have continued to love and support each other and ultimately have been able to make their marriage last an incredibly long time.

The couple is parents of five children. Children often follow in their parents' footsteps or go into the family business, and three of Judy's children have done just that by taking on careers in the legal industry.

Judy Sheindlin, from New York, rose to fame through her popular courtroom TV series "Judge Judy." Judy passed her New York State bar exams in 1965. Her roles after that included working as a corporate lawyer and then becoming a family court prosecutor in New York. She became a criminal court judge in 1982, and moved up the ranks to serve at Manhattan’s division of the family court.

She is known for her signature strict character and witty remarks during court hearings, something that has been her trademark throughout her career. It was this reputation that propelled her to stardom when she was approached for the reality courtroom series, which features real cases with real rulings.

The significant wealth that Judy has accumulated has led to some considerable properties as well. E! Online reported that Judy owns at least six luxury properties across America: two in Naples, Florida, and one each in Greenwich, Connecticut, Newport, Rhode Island, Manhattan, and Los Angeles.

Judy also doesn’t need to fly commercial as she has her own private jet that ferries her from the east to the west coast as per her filming schedule. She also used to own a mammoth 152-foot-long yacht named “Triumphant Lady,” but she ended up selling the $6.9 million vessel.

How is it that Judy amassed her $420 Million wealth through her television series? The New York Times reported in 2019 that Judy approached the president of CBS Television Distribution and negotiated a contract with the same no-nonsense personality she reserves for her show. She reportedly “writes down the salary she wants, seals it in an envelope and presents it at the end of the meal,” and does not entertain any counter-offers by responding, “This isn't a negotiation.” 

This just goes to show that Judy is a self-made woman whose personality continues to be celebrated even today. And her personal life has also had some great successes.

Judy’s first marriage was to Ronald Levy, a juvenile court prosecutor. They were married in 1964 but divorced 12 years later, states Women Working. They had two children together, Jamie and Adam.

Not long after, Judy married Judge Jerry Sheindlin, who went on to become an arbitrator in the TV show "The People's Court." The couple had gotten married back in 1977 but divorced in 1990 after Judy had endured some stress and struggles within her personal life following her father’s death in 1990. Jerry struggled to understand how to properly take care of his wife during this time, which only created more problems between them. “She said to me, ‘If you can’t maneuver this, I’m going to divorce you,’” Jerry recalled. “And I said, ‘Oh yeah? I dare you.’ And the next day I got divorce papers.”

Fortunately, their separation only lasted one year as they remarried in 1991, reports the Daily Mail. “I missed Jerry,” Judy told Closer Weekly. “I like to have someone to fuss over.” Judy has three stepchildren with Jerry, a total of 13 grandchildren. 

From this marriage, she has three stepchildren, Gregory, Jonathan, and Nicole. Children tend to follow in their parents' footsteps often, and this seems to be the same case for Judy's children. After all, with parents who are as successful as Judy and her past partners, it is no wonder that her kids would be inspired to follow a career in law. 

Judy has a very beautiful family life. She and her husband were very supportive of one another from the jump and have continued to stand by each other’s side ever since. According to the Los Angeles Times, Judy was the one who convinced Jerry to pick up the gavel for “The People’s Court” so many years ago.

“She’s the one who told me I should do it,” Jerry said. “If she had any reservations at all, I wouldn’t have done it.” During this 1999 interview, he added:

“I think that behind every great woman there is a man. So I may be behind her now, but I also heard a rumor that behind every great man there is a woman. So we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.”

Although she was briefly separated from her husband during the early 1990s, the two quickly reconciled and fell even more in love than before. However, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t kept working hard to make their marriage work.

According to Closer Weekly, Judy still gets butterflies when she sees Jerry. “I still like to see him walk into a room,” she said. “He looks good.”

And despite the fact that they’re both in their 80s, the two lovebirds still hold a high regard for personal physique, as Judy even joked that she would leave her husband if he ever lost his good looks. However, she has also worked at living up to her own standards. “We’ve been married 40 years and he has never seen me without my hair combed or lipstick on,” Judy revealed.

It won't come as a surprise to hear that three of Judy’s children pursued a career in the legal sector. According to The New York Times, Adam Levy worked as district attorney for Putnam County, New York, and Gregory and Nicole are also both lawyers.

Nicole even co-founded "Her Honor Mentoring" with her mom; a program that aims to match female high school seniors with successful female career mentors to give them future career guidance. Cheat Sheet reported that since its creation, the mentoring services they started have become available to more and more young people in Westchester County as well as the New York area.

As for what kind of parent Judy is, it is likely she may be a bit more on the strict side. However, this does not mean that she does not love her kids. On one of the episodes of "Judge Judy," she told a person at her court, "My children are better looking than you, sir, and they don’t get over on me either."

Judy is also a grandmother to 13 grandchildren! Unlike her children, she reportedly has nothing but gentleness for her grandchildren. "I spoil them," Judy said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "I’m trying to think of how we don’t, but the answer is we do. We don’t even think we’re doing it." 

Even though she is known for her no-nonsense and strict demeanor on her show, Judy's relationship with her family shows that she is a softie at heart and has nothing but love to give when it comes to what is most important to her. 

Judy clearly loves her family very much, and it seems like she also wants to help other families with their own parenting tactics. According to Entertainment Tonight, her first children’s book, “Win or Lose by How You Choose,” was written as a devotion to helping kids and their parents.

“Working parents bring a certain amount of guilt to their relationship with their children,” Judy explained. She elaborated on this, admitting that her five kids would unintentionally send her on guilt trips at times.

For example, one time her kids asked if they could have a hot lunch. Judy responded, “I said, ‘You want a hot lunch? Put slice of pizza on the radiator and you too will have a hot lunch.’”

Judy knows all too well how important having supportive parents can be, as her father always believed in her – possibly even more than she once believed in herself. Speaking to the Guardian in 2008, Judy described her father as "the greatest thing since sliced bread" and her mother as "a meat and potatoes kind of gal." After her father died in 1990, she said her mother kept the family together.

Judy carried that love from her father well after his death and well into her career. “A combination of tenacity and luck brought me here today,” she said while delivering a commencement speech at a high school in 2015. “I was an unremarkable student with passable looks and a direct personality. Nothing in my early childhood suggested to anyone – except maybe my father – that one day I would be standing here and be known simply as Judge Judy.”

While Judy has many accomplishments to be proud of, it’s evident that her family is truly her pride and joy.

What do you think about Judge Judy's children also joining the legal profession? They certainly had a good teacher in their mom. Do you know someone who followed the same career path as their parents? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones!