Judy Sheindlin, who most of us know as Judge Judy, has enjoyed a successful career as the host of her own court show – she previously spent 17 years as an attorney between 1965 and 1982, and 15 years as a judge between 1982 and 1996. Her television career began in 1996.
Since then, she has received four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program – three with her Judge Judy show and most recently for her Judy Justice show. When it comes to courtroom television, no one has had more success than the 80-year-old judge.
While she spent her entire career trying to help others with their own life problems and mishaps, there was one time in 2011 when she needed the help of others. During a live taping of Judge Judy, she suffered what producers believed to be a transient ischemic attack – a mini-stroke.
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In a 2011 interview with CBS News, she explained how ‘the people that had watched me for 15 years noticed something was wrong.’ They decided to call the paramedics ‘without asking, which was probably a good thing because I would’ve said ‘don’t go there,’ added Judge Judy.
A 9-1-1 call revealed the communication between the dispatcher and the producers of the show at the time. “She’s awake and she’s breathing but she just doesn’t seem like herself. They’re saying it seems like she’s about to pass out right now,” said her producers, clearly worried.
At one point in the show, Judge Judy started to speak in slow motion – which is initially what caught the producer’s attention. “She needs to lie down, OK? Somebody needs to get in there and tell her to lie down,” said the police dispatcher, adding that paramedics were on the way.
By the end of it all, Judge Judy was okay and she didn’t appear to suffer any permanent or major damage – though the experience has resulted in her urging others not to ignore the signs of a stroke. In addition to slowed speech, she also experienced double vision earlier in the day.
Judge Judy is Now Healthy and Happily Married
Ever since her minor health scare in 2011, Judge Judy has remained fairly healthy – she recently celebrated her 80th birthday on October 21. She also celebrated her 45-year wedding anniversary with her husband, Jerry Sheindlin – the two have had their fair share of ups and downs.
The couple wed in 1977, just one year after Judy split from ex-husband Ronald Levy – who she was married to for 12 years. She was then married to Jerry for 13 years before divorcing him in 1990. They eventually rekindled their relationship in 1991 and have been together ever since.
While the couple don’t share any children together, Judge Judy shares two children (Adam and Jamie) with Levy – she was also a stepmother to three of his children from previous partners. All in all, she’s a grandmother to 13 children, who she loves to spoil every chance she gets.
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For those that were fans of Judge Judy, you’ll be saddened to learn they stopped filming the show in 2021. Don’t worry, she has two other projects you can watch. Judy Justice, which stars Judge Judy, started taping in 2021, and Tribunal, which stars Byrd as bailiff, is starting soon.
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