When Judge Judy Sheindlin ended her hit series, "Judge Judy," in 2021 after 25 years on the air, it seemed she was stepping down from the bench.
But that was far from the case. Instead, she shifted her signature courtroom style to Freevee, Amazon’s ad-supported streaming service, and launched her new series, "Judy Justice," later that year.
"We left on top, which is perfect," Sheindlin told People about the end of "Judge Judy." "Amazon had the confidence in me to say, 'Let's do it in streaming. Let's let you do your thing in a fresh version with new people.' And I'm excited!"
The show quickly became Freevee’s No. 1 original show with more than 150 million viewers over the past two years. The show also earned a second season renewal this year.
Now, Sheindlin has three additional shows coming out on Freevee, continuing to expand her courtroom empire and attempting to make stars out of several family members.
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"Judge Judy appeals to audiences due to her ability to be straightforward, genuine and entertaining," Kathy Fielder, president and CEO of Kathy Fielder Design, told Fox News Digital. "She can be brutally honest, and just like reality TV, we know America loves a little, or a lot, of drama. She solves real cases in her courtroom, the cases themselves aren’t actors or scripted."
"What sets Judge Judy apart is not only her incredible ratings … but also her cultural impact. People are drawn to her authenticity and relatability. In a world of celebrities, viewers are craving something real, and Judge Judy delivers just that," said Dhomonique Murphy, founder of the Right Method.
When her original series, "Judge Judy," began in 1996, Sheindlin had already been making headlines for her tough reputation as a family court judge in New York. She had been featured in a Los Angeles Times profile and a "60 Minutes" segment that showcased her natural on-camera abilities.
"I was hoping we would have a three- or four-year run and that my husband and I would be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment one block off the beach in Florida as a retirement place," Sheindlin said in a 2021 People interview. "We were civil servants. We had five kids that were all educated, most went to graduate school. We tried to see to it they weren't burdened with a lot of debt."
"Judge Judy" far exceeded Sheindlin's hopes and became a hit. By the end of its run, Sheindlin was earning a $47 million salary and also raking in $100 million by selling the rights to her library of episodes to CBS, according to Forbes, making her the highest-paid host on TV.
But adjudicating small claims cases wasn’t the only thing Sheindlin was handling on TV.
In 2014, she launched the court show "Hot Bench" in syndication, the first step in her growing empire.
Behind the scenes, Sheindlin was also reported to be a tough negotiator when it came to her salary and contracts.
During a lawsuit against talent agent Richard Lawrence and his company, Rebel Entertainment Partners, who alleged that CBS and CBS Television Studios’ production company Big Ticket Television had denied the talent agency profits from the show, court transcripts obtained by The Hollywood Reporter revealed her candid approach to negotiations.
"They pay me the money that they do because they have no choice. They can’t find another one. They’ve tried to find another Judy. If they find another Judy, good for them. So far, they haven’t," she said.
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In total, Sheindlin is worth a reported $400 to $460 million.
Considering the financial and ratings success Sheindlin was experiencing on television, it may have come as a surprise when she switched to a streaming service.
But according to Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR, Sheindlin knew when to make a savvy business move.
"She saw the asteroid in the atmosphere – for shows like hers on broadcast television – and made the decision to pivot to streaming," Eldridge told Fox News Digital. "While her syndication will ensure she never goes extinct, her new projects moving to streaming means her creative content will be enjoyed by a new generation – one with different viewing habits and preferences. For this generation, it’s not just about changing what you serve but how you serve it. Sheindlin's pivot to streaming accomplished both."
The pivot also allows Sheindlin to diversify her approach to courtroom television series.
As Murphy put it, "… streaming platforms often provide creative freedom and flexibility for content creators. They offer opportunities to experiment with different formats, storytelling techniques and reach diverse audiences. This shift allows Judge Judy to explore new avenues, expand her brand and potentially engage with a wider range of viewers."
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In addition to "Judy Justice," Sheindlin already has two other shows set to air on Freevee, with a third still in the works.
The first is "Tribunal Justice," which stars her son, Adam Levy.
In a recent New York Times profile about Sheindlin and her empire, she addressed the concerns of nepotism amid the ongoing conversation dominating entertainment.
"Look, everybody wants to be in the entertainment business – it’s glamorous," she told the outlet. "But not everybody has the ability to connect with an audience and have legal credibility. Adam is a meticulous lawyer with a personality."
Levy is a former district attorney for Putnam County in New York who began his career as a prosecutor on Long Island.
"The elephant in the room is nepotism," Levy told the New York Times when interviewed about the show and his mother. "If Judy was not the creator and executive producer, I would not be here. I know that. But putting that aside for a minute, I know that I am good at what I do in a courtroom."
He added, "I worked too hard to develop my reputation as a lawyer, as someone of substance who really does respect the law and the judicial process, to be diminished that way."
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Sheindlin's other family members are getting into her courtroom empire as well. Her granddaughter, Sarah Rose Levy, appears as a law clerk on "Judy Justice."
Her third series, "Justice on Trial," will explore landmark court cases and feature her son-in-law, Daniel T. Mentzer, a criminal defense lawyer in New York City.
And while nepotism may get a bad rap, it's certainly no guarantee of success.
"While it's natural to wonder if they'll have the same appeal as Judge Judy herself, it's important to recognize that each individual brings their unique talents and strengths to the table," Murphy said.
"Having grown up in a family immersed in the media and entertainment industry, Judge Judy's son, Adam Levy, her son-in-law, and her granddaughter have likely inherited their fair share of skills and knowledge. However, the success and appeal of any show depend on various factors, including the content, presentation and audience reception."
"Judge Judy seems to be integrating these family members so that there is a level of familiarity between her audience and her family," Fielder said. "They definitely have the potential to have the same appeal as Judy, especially since they appear to have the entertainment factor, star power and business acumen to grow their own brands, not to mention Judy’s name to back them up."
And as Eldridge notes, the approach of integrating Sheindlin's family into the empire isn’t a simple case of copy and paste.
"The great thing about Sheindlin's new portfolio is that none of the programming is intended to be a ‘Judge Judy’ retread. All of her new content in production plays off the success and name appeal of the broader Judge Judy brand, but none of it is an attempt to ‘rebuild the coliseum,’" he said. "Instead, it’s a pivot to a variety of microsites (in lieu of one grand arena), each of which appeals to a smaller, segmented audience. From a true-crime reenactment series to a three-person panel show that doesn’t rely on one person tasked with filling the impossibly large robe left behind by the otherwise diminutive Sheindlin."
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Sheindlin will turn 81 in October and is contracted to appear on "Judy Justice" through 2025, when she will be 83. And she appears to have no interest in slowing down.
In 2021, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she's "not tired" at all and does not see a reason to retire from television.
"I don't play golf or tennis. I have no desire to learn how to play mahjong, chess or checkers. I know what I like to do," Sheindlin told the outlet. "Why, at my stage in life, would I try to find something else when I already know what I like?"
Fielder agreed there’s no reason for Sheindlin to slow down: "Eighty is the new 60. If she can continue to grow her brand and leave her legacy, all while carving out paths for her family members to have successful careers in their own right, she’s going to continue to do so," she said.
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"Sheindlin is as hot as ever," Eldridge added. "She is producing award-winning content across a brand-new format, all while capturing a different generation of viewer-consumers in the process."
He continued, "Financially speaking, ‘Judge Judy’ has been a money-printing machine for decades on end, but there’s a difference in a need to continue and a desire to expand. For Sheindlin, it’s likely the latter, especially as she pulls her children into the creative equation. It’s likely a matter of legacy – not just knowing that hers is secure and that her family is financially set but also the peace that comes from knowing they too have found ‘their thing.’"
Sheindlin has certainly inspired many with her no-nonsense approach and plain dealings in court, and her ever-expanding empire continues to be one worth admiring.
"Judge Judy's impact on the television and legal realms is undeniable," Murphy said. "By expanding her empire, she can continue to make a lasting impact, leaving a legacy that extends beyond her own television show. She may also be interested in mentoring and supporting aspiring talent, using her expertise and experience to shape the future of the industry."
"Judy Justice" and "Tribunal Justice" are both currently available on Freevee. The release date for "Justice on Trial" has not yet been announced.
