Judge Judy Sheindlin is an American television judge, former New York family court judge, author and producer. She ruled over the syndicated hit Judge Judy for 25 seasons and then moved to Amazon with Judy Justice, which ends its run in October 2026. She turns 84 on October 21, 2026, and she is stepping away from the camera after three decades while staying busy behind it.
| Date of Birth | October 21, 1942 |
|---|---|
| Age | 84 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Occupation | Judge, TV Producer, Author |
| Husband | Jerry Sheindlin |
Beauty TukuraJudge Judy Biography
Judith Susan Blum was born on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Murray Blum, was a dentist, and her mother, Ethel, ran the home. The family is Jewish, with roots in Germany and Russia, and she grew up alongside a younger brother, David.
She gives her father most of the credit for her confidence. Speaking on CBS Mornings in September 2026, she said Brooklyn taught her to “negotiate” and to think on her feet. She also admitted, “I’m not academically smart,” and joked that she and her best friend of 75 years never made the fast-track class at school.
She attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn and earned a bachelor’s degree in government from American University in Washington, D.C. She then studied at New York Law School, graduated in 1965 and passed the New York bar the same year. Her first job was as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics company, which she left after two years to raise her children.
Career
Her legal career took off in 1972, when she became a prosecutor in New York’s family court system. She handled cases of child abuse, domestic violence and juvenile crime. In 1982, Mayor Ed Koch appointed her as a criminal court judge, and in 1986 she became the supervising judge of the Manhattan family court.
A 1993 Los Angeles Times profile and a 60 Minutes segment on her tough style made her famous outside New York. She wrote the book Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining in 1996, the same year she retired from the bench.
Judge Judy Show and Judy Justice
Judge Judy premiered in syndication on September 16, 1996, and ran for 25 seasons until 2021. On CBS Mornings, she recalled that the show started “on the worst stations” in the country because nobody knew who she was, and it grew by word of mouth. It went on to become the top-rated daytime show for years and earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
Guinness World Records named her the longest-serving TV courtroom judge in 2015. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys. Her firm, no-nonsense lines, such as “Beauty fades, dumb is forever,” became part of pop culture.
Judy Justice launched on November 1, 2021, on Amazon’s free streaming service, then IMDb TV and later Prime Video. Her granddaughter Sarah Rose joined her as a law clerk, and bailiff Kevin Rasco and stenographer Whitney Kumar completed the bench. The show’s fourth and final season premiered on January 19, 2026, with the last episode set for October 22, 2026.
She also hosted Justice on Trial, an eight-part Prime Video docuseries that dropped on July 21, 2025. Each episode looks back at a landmark American court case using reenactments, trial transcripts and news footage.
Retirement and Next Projects
Judge Judy announced in September 2026 that she is retiring from on-camera work. She told People she no longer wanted to “do hair and makeup,” but still wanted her message out there. Her representative told The New York Times, “She is rewiring,” and the Instagram account for her shows announced the news on September 11, 2026.
She now produces Adam’s Law, a syndicated court show starring her son, Adam Levy, which premiered on September 14, 2026. She is also building an adult animated series called the Judyverse around the viral “Baby Judge Judy” character. On CBS Mornings, she described it as “sort of South Park-ish” and “a little bit sassy.” CBS aired the tribute special Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable on September 22, 2026.
Judge Judy Husband
Judge Judy is married to Jerry Sheindlin, a former New York Supreme Court justice. They married in 1977, divorced in 1990 after a hard year in which her father died, and remarried in 1991. Jerry later had his own TV court run on The People’s Court from 1999 to 2001.
The couple once sat as judges in the same city. Speaking on Live with Kelly and Mark in July 2025, she told a funny story about Jerry being assigned to Manhattan while she worked in the Bronx. She noticed young lawyers praising his ties, called the administrative judge, and had him moved to the Bronx on the Monday after July 4th weekend. “I would really like him moved to the Bronx,” she recalled saying.
Before Jerry, she was married to Ronald Levy, a lawyer who later worked as a prosecutor. They wed in 1964 and divorced in 1976.
Judge Judy Children
Judge Judy has two children from her first marriage, Jamie and Adam Levy. Through her marriage to Jerry, she also has three stepchildren, Gregory, Jonathan and Nicole Sheindlin, so the family counts five children in all. Many of them work in law, which she jokingly blames on the family arguing the law over dinner.
Adam Levy is a lawyer and former district attorney of Putnam County, New York, and now hosts Adam’s Law. Her granddaughter Sarah Rose, a lawyer, worked beside her on Judy Justice. On CBS Mornings, she said she has “great kids and great grandkids” and that the family was expecting its fourth great-grandchild in December 2026. “I’ve never felt more content,” she added.
Personal Life
Judge Judy and Jerry spend much of their time at their home in Naples, Florida. She loves dogs and told CBS Mornings that her Shih Tzus “run the house.” Asked on the same show to pick between Naples and Palm Beach, she chose Naples right away.
Her Instagram page, @judgejudysheindlin, has about 37,000 followers and is used mostly for show news. Its latest post, on September 22, 2026, shared a classic courtroom clip ahead of the CBS special.
Judge Judy Net Worth
Judge Judy’s net worth is estimated at $334–581 million, based on her TV salary, the sale of her show library and three decades of savings. Her pay is the biggest part of it. ET reported that she earned about $47 million a year from Judge Judy in its later seasons, which made her one of the highest-paid people on television.
In 2017, she sold the rights to more than 5,200 episodes of Judge Judy to CBS, a deal The Hollywood Reporter put at about $95 million. Her fees from Judy Justice, Justice on Trial and her new producing work on Adam’s Law add to that, so the figure should keep climbing even as she leaves the camera behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Judge Judy?
Judge Judy is 84 years old. She was born on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York.
Who is Judge Judy’s husband?
Her husband is Jerry Sheindlin, a retired New York judge. They married in 1977, divorced in 1990 and remarried in 1991.
How many children does Judge Judy have?
She has two children, Jamie and Adam Levy, and three stepchildren from her marriage to Jerry Sheindlin.
What is Judge Judy’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at $334–581 million, mostly from her TV salary and the sale of her show library to CBS.
Is Judge Judy retiring?
Yes, from on-camera work. Judy Justice ends in October 2026, and she will keep producing Adam’s Law and her animated series, the Judyverse.
Is Sarah Rose related to Judge Judy?
Yes. Sarah Rose is Judge Judy’s granddaughter and served as her law clerk on Judy Justice.
