Judge Judy hits out at ‘disrespectful’ CBS as courtroom show ends after 25 years
Judge Judy Sheindlin has revealed the true reason her long-running court series was cancelled.
In March 2020, the television personality told The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her time on the CBS show was drawing to a close after 25 years.
At the time, Sheindlin, 78, said the network pulled the plug as bosses felt they had enough episodes to warrant simply repeating the show.
However, in a tell-all interview, Sheindlin has now suggested it was her decision to leave due to rising tensions with CBS.
According to Sheindlin, the relationship broke down due to her ownership of episodes, which the channel ultimately bought from her – a move that, in turn, prevented her from selling them to another network.
She told Wall Street Journal that she also felt “disrespected” by how CBS had treated Hot Bench, the courtroom show she created in 2014
“You disrespected my creation,” Sheindlin said, adding: “And you were wrong. Not only in disrespecting my creation, but your gamble in what you put in its place.”
She continued: “We had a nice marriage. It’s going to be a Bill and Melinda Gates divorce.”
In response, CBS Media Ventures president Steve LoCasci said: “We have had an incredibly successful relationship with Judy over the last 25 years. It has been an honour representing her show, and just like there has never been another Oprah, there will never be another Judge Judy.”
Speaking in 2020, Sheindlin said: “CBS sort of felt, I think, they wanted to optimally utilise the repeats of my program. What they decided to do is sell a couple of years’ worth of reruns. But I’m not tired, so Judy Justice will be coming out a year later.”
Judy Justice will be shown on a different network.
Judge Judy was most recently renewed in 2018 in a deal that reportedly paid Sheindlin $47m (£36m) a year.
The final episode will air on 25 June. In the UK, the series is shown on ITV2.
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