Judge Judy Sheindlin is the most-watched TV judge of all-time, known for her quips and
catchphrases, quick rulings, and no-nonsense style …
"You bought the gun!"
"I understand that."
"You will pay for the damage!"
She's been on the air for more than 20 seasons and counting, but there are plenty of behind-the-scenes
details even regular viewers don't know about Judy and her TV court.
Here are some facts about the outspoken judge and her hit show you might not know.
Judy makes bank
In exchange for her domination of daytime TV, Sheindlin has been handsomely rewarded.
According to the Washington Post, Sheindlin renewed her contract through 2020 for an undisclosed
amount.
But her previous contract netted her $47 million per year, which she earned working only 52
total days out of the year, meaning she made $900,000 per working day.
That makes Sheindlin one of the highest paid, if not the highest paid women in all of television
— and she earns it largely by just being herself ....
"Now, they pay me for doing exactly what I was trying to repress for 15 years!"
Pre-show fame
Judge Judy went on the air in 1996.
But in 1993, the Los Angeles Times did a story on Sheindlin in which they referred to her
work in family court as a "highly personal crusade to bring order out of chaos," which
"has assumed folkloric proportions in America's largest juvenile justice system."
The story eventually led to a now-famous 60 Minutes profile, which in turn landed Sheindlin
a book deal, transitioning her from public servant to celebrity author almost overnight.
Judy's world record
In September of 2015, Judge Judy celebrated its 20th season, which is a remarkable feat
for any TV show, let alone one that features a cranky Brooklynite yelling at people for
20 minutes.
"I want you to start banging your head on the table and don't stop until I tell you."
But it was a landmark achievement nonetheless, and one recognized by Guinness World Records,
who awarded Sheindlin that same year for having the "longest career as a TV judge."
At the time of the award, Judge Judy had been on the air for just under 19 years, which
amounted to 4,500 episodes and "more than 9,000 cases" heard.
As of the making of this video, Sheindlin is still presiding over her TV courtroom,
and with Judge Joe Brown's 2013 cancellation after 15 seasons, it's unlikely that another
TV judge will ever even come close to her record.
How Byrd got big
There is no doubt that the success of Judge Judy is largely due to Judy's powerhouse persona,
but the chemistry between Sheindlin and Bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd is another crucial element
of the show.
But it wasn't originally planned that way: During an interview on Hollywood Today Live,
Byrd revealed that producers had no idea he and Sheindlin were going to banter, but it
happened in the very first episode ...
"She looks over to me and she goes 'S-O-D-D-I,' and I just look and I go, 'Yeah, some other
dude done it."
Their comedy routine was born in that moment, and Byrd says it changed him into a "principal
player" on the show and ultimately earned him more money.
But the crackling chemistry between Sheindlin and Byrd didn't come out of nowhere.
In fact, long before Sheindlin started doling out her acid-tongued judgement for a national
audience, she was doing it in Manhattan Family Court with Byrd right by her side.
It was a tumultuous time in Byrd's life when he got the unlikely opportunity to become
a TV star.
He was working as a counselor at a high school and delivering pizzas on the side to make
ends meet.
Upon hearing about Judy getting her own show, he wrote her a congratulatory letter, telling
her, "If you ever need a bailiff, I still look good in uniform."
Amazingly, Sheindlin replied that they were, in fact, looking for a bailiff, and the rest
is history.
The curious clipboard
It's impressive enough that Bailiff Byrd basically charmed his way into becoming an indispensable
character on one of the most successful daytime TV shows of all time, but what he actually
does during filming elevates him to legend status.
Byrd revealed to Hollywood Today Live what's really on that clipboard he's always holding:
crossword puzzles.
Yep: While Sheindlin is busy hurling vicious one-liners at the poor schlubs standing in
her TV courtroom, Byrd is getting paid to play word games.
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