The Ups And Downs Of Judge Judy & Jerry Sheindlin's Marriage

Since the early '80s, daytime television has hosted its fair share of arbitration-based court shows. With Judge Joseph Wapner from "The People's Court" popularizing the genre, the 1996 launch of "Judge Judy" took the medium to even higher heights. Thanks to her no-nonsense attitude, slick "Judy-isms" and on-screen friendship with her bailiff, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, Judy Sheindlin — born Judith Susan Blum — became one of pop culture's most notable courtroom personalities. 

Becoming a household name has not been without its challenges, as being in the public eye can come with a great deal of scrutiny. Even so, Judy has been open about certain aspects of her personal life away from television. This included her previous marriage to prosecutor Ronald Levy, which lasted from 1964 to 1976.

Fans are likely more familiar with her second husband, Jerry Sheindlin, as he has been her life partner for over five decades. As an accomplished jurist himself, the two have had their storybook ending when it comes to their mutual romance. During this journey, however, there were moments when the two weren't sure whether they'd remain an item. Relationships aren't without their ebbs and flows, and this couldn't be any more evident for Judy and Jerry. From premature splits to immediate recouplings, arguments to declarations of their unwavering love, their marriage wasn't always picture-perfect from the outside looking in. To learn more about how their relationship stood the test of time, here are the marital ups and downs Judy and Jerry faced over the years.

Life before fame for Judy Sheindlin was eventful. In the '70s, she worked as a prosecuting attorney in New York City's family court. At the time, she was married to her then-husband, Ronald Levy, and they had two children together, Jamie and Adam. By 1976, however, she divorced Levy. That same year, a young Jerry Sheindlin — and his shiny shoes — eventually caught her eye at a New York City bar.

As the Sheindlins recounted during their 2022 appearance on "Double Date with Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue," they first met after Jerry won a murder case as a defense attorney. The New York Post caught wind of this and sent reporter Mike Pearl to interview Jerry. Judy, who was in the bar at the same time, promptly interrupted the interview. "She came walking into the bar, seeing me surrounded by these lawyers — one of whom was her boss — and came right up to me in the middle of the interview, put her finger in my face and said, 'And who is this?'" Jerry recalled. It surely wasn't the slickest of first impressions, but for Jerry, it worked. "She wanted to make an impression, which she did," he admitted. "And I said, 'Lady, please get your finger out of my face. I'm in the middle of an interview.' And she did, and we went out for dinner that night, and we saw each other every single night thereafter."

It didn't take long for Jerry and Judy Sheindlin to hit it off. Their connection blossomed so quickly that Judy considered marriage the same year she met Jerry. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she wanted to give married life another shot. 

Jerry, however, was on a totally different page. When he and Judy started dating, Jerry was still married to Suzanne Rosenthal. He and Rosenthal were already separated by this point, but he dragged his feet when it came to officially divorcing his ex-wife. On a 2013 episode of "CBS This Morning," Judy recalled pressing Jerry on the idea of taking the necessary steps to take their own relationship to the next level. "He said, 'Why does the government have to dictate our relationship? It's just a piece of paper. ... Why do we need a government imprimatur for us to have a relationship?'" Judy shared.

Though Jerry was uninterested in giving marriage another go, Judy dug her heels in. In Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue's 2020 book, "What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life" (via People), Judy said she more or less dragged Jerry to the altar. "He had no intention of divorcing his wife. ... After we were together for about a year, I said, 'I want to see your divorce in the newspaper or don't bother calling again,'" Judy stated. Her determination proved to be fruitful: Judy and Jerry tied the knot in 1977.

Some years after Judy and Jerry Sheindlin got hitched, their relationship hit a major rough patch. In 1986, the no-nonsense judge's father, Murray Blum, died, and the loss took a tremendous toll on her. 

Looking back on this difficult period for Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue's "What Makes a Marriage Last" (via E! News), Judy said that Jerry had no idea how he needed to show up for her. "In a desperate need of a role reversal, I said, 'I've been taking care of you for 12 years, now it's your turn to take care of me.' And he was totally unaccustomed to that role," she explained.

Jerry admitted to his shortcomings and stated he wasn't entirely sure what Judy was asking of him at the time. "What was said was, 'Unless you change, we can't stay together.' I said, 'Tell me what you want me to do.' ... She said, 'Just take care of me.' And I said, 'I don't know how to do that,'" he recalled. Judy then gave Jerry an ultimatum, threatening divorce if he didn't get things right. Hurt by her declaration, Jerry dared her to go through with it. She did, and they divorced in 1990.

After Jerry and Judy Sheindlin divorced in 1990, the two had a tough time adjusting to being apart. In "What Makes a Marriage Last," Jerry stated that he didn't take the split well. "I missed her presence the very first week that we were separated," he said. "It was the first time in years that we didn't get to see each other every single day. It was such a strange experience." This was the same for Judy, who had also regretted the decision to follow through on the divorce.

It did not take long for the two to reconcile; after a brief dinner date they decided to remarry in 1991. Instead of focusing on their prior mistakes, Judy and Jerry chose to start fresh in their new marriage. This was especially apparent during their wedding ceremony when the officiant asked Judy and Jerry to exchange vows. "To me, he says, 'Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife forever — in good times and bad, in sickness and in health?' I said, 'Yes,'" Jerry recounted to People in 2020. "He looks at Judy and says, 'Do you take this man to be your husband?' She says, 'Yes.' He says, 'In good times or bad?' And she looks right at him and says, 'In good times or forget it.'"

Long before they were celebs, Jerry and Judy Sheindlin built impressive careers in the world of law. Judy's trajectory, however, saw her transition to the world of arbitration-based court TV. In 1996, the first episode of "Judge Judy" premiered, and the timing was particularly convenient as "The People's Court" was briefly off the air. The latter series did return to 1997 with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch leading the show, but by 1999, the show was searching for its new presiding judge. In a 1999 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jerry said Judy encouraged him to take the gig — despite it being a rival show. "She is the one who told me I should do it," he said. "If she had any reservations at all, I wouldn't have done it."

From 1999 to 2001, Jerry worked as the dedicated judge on "The People's Court." This occurred while "Judge Judy" was up and running. "I think that behind every great woman there is a man," he quipped. "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." Unlike his wife, who had built a reputation of being a no-nonsense and aggressive judge, Jerry was more level-headed and restrained in his approach to ruling various civil small-claims disputes.

Both Jerry and Judy Sheindlin were already parents before they got together. Jerry and his first wife, Suzanne Rosenthal, share three kids: Gregory, Jonathan, and Nicole Sheindlin. Judy and her first husband, Ronald Levy, welcomed two kids when they were still together: Jamie Hartwright and Adam Bruce Levy. Jerry and Judy have a blended family of five children and 13 grandchildren, making for a large blended family.

From Adam Levy matching his mom's fiery energy in his own arbitration-based court show, "Adam's Law," to Jonathan thriving as an ophthalmologist, their parents' success has evidently trickled into their respective lives. Judy and Jerry's fortune was enough to support their individual endeavors, such as attaining higher education without accruing debt. 

In the primetime special "Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable" (via TV Insider), Nicole spoke candidly about what their family dynamic was like when Judy and her step-siblings entered her life. "When we came together, they wanted us to be a jolly tribe," she said. "There was no distinction with respect to 'step' and what is biological. It was harmonious from the jump. Truly, we connected from the moment we met. Just a deep connection. It wasn't as if I was thinking, 'Oh, there's another woman with my dad.'"

Judy Sheindlin is not one to shy away from making major relationship calls — even if Jerry Sheindlin is none the wiser. On a 2025 episode of "Live! With Kelly & Mark," Judy spoke candidly about being the architect behind an early job transition in Jerry's life. Once Jerry and Judy became judges, they were appointed to different locations in New York City. With Jerry in Manhattan and Judy in the Bronx. Though she would get chances to drop by his post in Manhattan from time to time, she wasn't thrilled with the arrangement. "I would see the lawyers, you know, the young girl lawyers passing by, [saying], 'Hello, judge. That's such a great tie, judge,'" she recalled. 

When Jerry had to miss a family outing on a July 4th weekend for work, Judy called the late Judge Joseph B. Williams to see if she could get Jerry reassigned to the Bronx the following week. Williams asked if Jerry wanted to switch boroughs, to which she responded, "He doesn't have to want to go. It's much better for him in the Bronx." Judy was elated when she learned that her request was approved, while Jerry was admittedly disappointed. "I said, 'Oh, Jerry! That will really be so much fun,'" she recalled. "He said, 'I love it in Manhattan. Why would I want to go to the Bronx from Manhattan?'" Funnily enough, her scheme didn't pay off since she was offered a job in Manhattan shortly after.

As compatible as they might be, Jerry and Judy Sheindlin do not always see eye to eye. When the longtime couple does end up at odds, they do their best to work through the argument and resolve their conflict immediately. However, during their 2022 appearance on "Double Date with Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue," Jerry acknowledged that their arguments may carry on for a while — especially if he does not back down to Judy. "We tend to do the right thing," he said. "And as soon as one of us gets to the point where we say, 'You know, that's right,' then we're together. And if we can't get to that point, then we argue, and we argue until somebody gives up, and it's usually me."

In the same interview, Judy shared that they tend to butt heads because they do not process information in the same way. "The truth is, I'm a very linear thinker. Things are logical. ... If something doesn't make sense to me, it's usually not true, or it's usually not right, or it's not going to end up well," she explained. "Jerry is a linear thinker, but at the end of that thought process is what will make him happy. ... Sometimes we don't get there, so then we just have a blowout."

Though they are both successful judges and famous courtroom television stars, Jerry and Judy Sheindlin are incredibly different people. And while they spend a lot of time together, they are the opposite of codependent. And though they did split up for a short while, their dynamic has clearly worked well for them over the decades.

For starters, Judy has been outspoken about the importance of maintaining financial independence in marriage. As she said on a 2016 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "The only way it won't happen is if you equip yourself to be financially independent. Because once a woman gives up financial independence to a mate, it's over. ... Because if you're not prepared, then you're stuck, and more women have to accept lifestyles that are unpleasant because they are financially stuck."

What's more, Judy has expressed how important it is to have some alone time. In a 2024 interview with E! News, Judy explained that one of her secrets to maintaining her lengthy marriage was spending time away from Jerry. "You don't spend 24 hours together," she said. "Because that's deadly." By all accounts, this has helped keep the spark alive in their relationship — and it sure seems to be very much alive all these years later. "Jerry just celebrated his 90th birthday, and I still like to look at him when he walks in the room — that's a key," she said.

In 2026, Judge Judy Sheindlin retired from TV once and for all, but she certainly hasn't slowed down when it comes to health and wellness. After Judy suffered a mini-stroke in 2011, she began taking her physical health all the more seriously. In her 2024 interview with the New York Post, Judy expressed the importance of practicing healthy habits, stating, "I have a responsibility to keep the vessel in shape and looking good. ... Working out is important for my physical health and my mental health." She also wants to continue feeling confident as she ages, especially with regard to her connection to Jerry Sheindlin.

In 2024, Judy told Chris Wallace on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" (via OK! magazine) that her husband is committed to maintaining his own health and overall wellness, too. According to Judy, this has helped to sustain her attraction toward him. "Well, how do you stay married for 47 years? You get a little hard of hearing. Both of us. And, you know, we're together a lot," she quipped. "Jerry retired about 20 years ago, but he has his own thing. He takes wonderful care of himself. And I sort of like it because he maintains that physique that I fell in love with 48 years ago."