Judge Judy Sheindlin, 83, is retiring from TV after ‘Judy Justice’ ends in October, passing her courtroom legacy to son Adam Levy with a new TV show.!
Judge Judy Sheindlin is preparing to step away from the television courtroom after more than three decades on screen.
The 83-year-old television icon plans to retire from on-camera work after her Prime Video series, Judy Justice, concludes in October, marking the end of an era for one of TV’s most recognizable courtroom personalities.
Sheindlin, however, isn’t completely leaving the entertainment business. Instead, she says she is “not retiring, just rewiring” as she moves toward new projects and works behind the scenes.
Judge Judy announces TV retirement
Sheindlin revealed her plans during a recent interview with People, explaining that she has other interests she wants to pursue after years of appearing in front of the cameras.
“I have a lot of other things of interest,” Sheindlin said, adding that she no longer wants to deal with “hair and makeup” but still wants her message to reach audiences.
Her decision comes as Judy Justice approaches its final episodes. The series launched on Prime Video in 2021 after Sheindlin’s original courtroom hit, Judge Judy, ended its 25-season run.
Judge Judy passes the gavel to her son
While Sheindlin is stepping away from the camera, her courtroom legacy will continue through her son, Adam Levy.
Levy is set to star in Adam’s Law, a new courtroom program that premieres in national syndication on Sept. 14. Sheindlin created the show and will serve as an executive producer.
The longtime television judge has expressed confidence that her son can successfully carry a courtroom show on his own.
“There aren’t a lot of people who can carry a half hour on their own unscripted,” Sheindlin said of Levy, adding that she believes “he has what it takes.”
Levy previously worked as a lawyer and served as the Putnam County, New York, district attorney before making his television debut on Sheindlin’s Prime Video series Tribunal Justice in 2023.
Judge Judy’s legendary TV career
Sheindlin first became a household name with Judge Judy, which premiered in 1996 and ran for 25 seasons before ending in 2021.
The series transformed Sheindlin into one of the most recognizable figures in daytime television. At the show’s peak, it attracted an estimated 10 million viewers and became known for Sheindlin’s blunt courtroom style, quick comebacks and no-nonsense rulings.
Before becoming a television star, Sheindlin had a lengthy legal career. She graduated from New York Law School in 1965 and later worked as a prosecutor, handling cases involving juvenile crime, domestic violence and child abuse.
She eventually became a family court judge before bringing her tough judicial persona to television.
Sheindlin wants her message to continue
Although Judge Judy is leaving the camera, Sheindlin’s influence is expected to continue through her production work and the next generation of courtroom television.
Her career has also had a broader impact on viewers, particularly women who have told her that watching Judge Judy encouraged them to make major changes in their own lives.
Sheindlin previously recalled hearing from viewers who said the show inspired them to leave unhealthy relationships, pursue raises and become more independent.
That legacy appears to be part of what she wants to preserve even as she steps away from the spotlight.
Judge Judy begins a new chapter
Sheindlin’s television retirement does not mean the end of her entertainment career.
Instead, the veteran TV personality is moving into a new role as a producer while allowing her son to take center stage in Adam’s Law.
Her nearly 30-year run as one of television’s toughest judges may be coming to an end, but the courtroom empire she built is continuing through her family.
For viewers who grew up watching Judge Judy and later followed Judy Justice, Sheindlin’s departure marks the closing of one of the longest-running chapters in modern courtroom television.
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