Judge Judy Is Proud Mom of 5 at 80 — She Left Job for Kids Who Sent Her on 'Guilt Trips' Later

Judy Sheindlin celebrated her 80th birthday in 2022 with her husband of 45 years. She stopped working in her youth to be a full-time mom, but it ended with her divorce from her first husband. Judy married her current husband twice. She confessed that she was not a good mother, but now she is devoted to her grandkids.

Judy Sheindlin, the famous Judge with her own TV show, celebrated her 80th birthday on October 21, 2022. The iron-fisted woman has probably spent the day with her husband of 45 years, Jerry Sheindlin.

They always try to make time for family and each other despite their busy lives. Judy's old show may have ended, but she's far from done. She recently started a new show on FreeVee called "Justice Judy."

Although the law legend still enjoys her work tremendously, she loves spending time with her family. She has started making it a priority to bond with her children and grandchildren. Especially since she hasn't always been there for them.

The lawyer said she's not looking to start something new in her old age. She said she doesn't play golf or tennis. She has no desire to learn to play new games to keep her busy, either. She explained that she has already figured out what she loves and will stick with it.

She also said that the one thing that does take up her free time is her family. Her job doesn't require attention the entire day, so she has free time to devote to her children. She commented that the grandkids grow up fast, and she loves spending time with them.

Although Judy and Jerry have been together for a long time, their marriage hasn't been without a few bumps in the road. But, over the years, they have learned to accommodate each other and sort out their conflicts peacefully.

One significant point of contention was her husband's ability to care for her and his inability to pay attention to her needs. In the last while, Jerry has made a point of paying more attention and trying to satisfy her needs. Judy remarked:

"He did learn to use a calendar better. He learned to write down: 'October 21, Judy's birthday. Buy present, card.'"

Judy has finally managed to establish a good work-life balance. She has found enough time to spend with the ones she loves while also expanding her television empire. But the path to happy family life was not easy. Ultimately, she had to be tough and make difficult decisions to bring her to where she is now.

Judy's First Marriage

In 1964, Judy decided it was time to marry and have children. Before this, she was stuck in a corporate job that was unfulfilling and highly disappointing. Instead of utilizing her skills as a lawyer, the company wanted her to sell a beauty product.

So, instead of staying with her first job, the Emmy winner decided to turn to family life. She married her first husband, Ronald Levy, and the couple had two children together. Judy explained that, in those days, being a housewife and mother was almost the only way for a woman to make a living without working.

While married to Ronald, Judy's life was very different from what she had had in mind. She looked after the children, making lunches and caring for the household. She remembered that she was extremely bored during this time.

Judy commented that she was so bored she could "feel [her] brain atrophying." One of the only things that kept her busy was watching soap operas. With a disbelieving laugh, she said she would look forward to watching soaps on TV to pass the time.

Her main problem in this period of her life was having to stay home. She craved something to do outside her home. She needed to be active. So, she decided to return to school and finish her master's degree in family law.

After completing her master's, Judy started working again after six years. This offered her the engagement outside of her home that she wanted so badly. The only problem was that her husband didn't consider her job as a real career. Instead, he viewed it as her hobby, which she resented after a while.

Eventually, in 1976, Judy decided to get a divorce. She was the first to divorce in her family, so her father wasn't entirely on-board with the idea. Nonetheless, he began to notice that she was miserable, and eventually, he offered his support, and she divorced Ronald.

Starting a New Life

Judy arrived in New York as a newly divorced woman with two children and a law degree. She was appointed as a prosecutor, and, despite the rocky start, things were starting to look up. Then, a short time after her divorce, she met Jerry Sheindlin.

Her husband shared that the two met in a New York pub. At the time, he worked as a defense attorney and was finishing a murder case. He remembers Judy walking into the pub while he was talking to a reporter from the New York Post. She came up to him and stuck a finger in his face. The attorney told the story:

"Judy came walking in and put her finger in my face and said, 'And who is this?' I said, 'Lady, get your finger out of my face.' We've been together ever since."

In 1977, Jerry and Judy tied the knot. Jerry had three children, and Judy had two. Judy shared that her kids would often send her on guilt trips. On one occasion, they said they wanted hot lunch like their friends. Their mother responded that if they put their pizza on the radiator, they would have hot lunch.

Judy called her best friend to be a bridesmaid, and Jerry phoned his son to be his best man.

Judy had always been a strong-willed person. As a judge, this translated into a tough persona that didn't take any lip those on trial. Her reputation soon caught the attention of the Los Angeles Times. In 1993, the newspaper did a profile on her. Later, a "60 Minutes" segment led to CBS taking an interest in her.

Unfortunately, her father passed away right before the Judge's success bloomed. In 1990, she needed her husband's support more than ever, but he didn't know how to take care of her. Amid growing fame, a big family, and the grief of losing her dad, Jerry's inability to care for her proved too much, and she decided she wanted a divorce.

A New Show and Reconciliation

The separation came quickly. They had an altercation, and Judy returned with a divorce form almost the next day. Jerry signed, and that seemed to be the end of their 12-year marriage. But neither could go without the other for a very long time. Jerry remembered:

"I missed her presence the very first week. 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."

His now ex-wife felt the same way, but neither was willing to approach the other yet. Judy had her new show, "Judge Judy," which premiered in 1996. She also tried to move on by going on a date, but it ended badly, and she missed Jerry more than ever.

After a year apart, Jerry decided that enough was enough. He called her and asked her to dinner. She accepted, and they ended up enjoying their evening. Judy even told him about the failed date, which gave Jerry some hope. He explained:

"I was so pleased having her tell me that story because, at that moment, I knew she eventually had to come back to me."

Both admitted that the last year apart had been miserable, so they started spending more time together. Eventually, Jerry said they were silly to enjoy each other's company so often and not be married. His ploy worked, and the two remarried.

Judy called her best friend to be a bridesmaid, and Jerry phoned his son to be his best man. Finally, they called Jerry's New York Supreme Court justice friend to officiate. So, the two married again, and they have been happy together ever since.

Despite Judy not always being present in her children's lives, their five kids are now grown. A few have even decided to follow in their formidable footsteps. The couple has also gained an impressive 13 grandchildren. Their influence has been so strong that some of the grandkids also joined the family business.

Judy and Jerry couldn't be more proud of their family. Judy said that they enjoy spoiling the kids. They also take an active part in the family's lives. Sarah Rose, one of Judy's granddaughters, acquired her Juris Doctor from the New York Law School, and Judy was there to hand it to her.

Sarah opened up about following in her grandmother's footsteps. She said that being able to do what the admirable Judge Judy has done for years is possibly her greatest achievement. When asked what her secret is, Judy advised that a "combination of tenacity and luck" is what granted her success.