Judge Mathis' Wife Linda Reese Is a Former Teacher – Get To Know Her

Judge Mathis' wife, Linda Reese, moved to the front of the camera after years of supporting her family as a homemaker. The former Detroit public school teacher keeps her know-it-all TV star husband in check with her quick wit and cheerful disposition.

Linda Reese binds her busy family of professionals together through warm home-cooked Sunday dinners and family trips like their annual Christmas vacation.

She loves having most of her unfiltered family under one roof for the filming of "Mathis Family Matters" on the E! Entertainment network. The youthful grandmother of two enjoys power-walking with friends and spoiling her grandbabies.

Linda Reese Mathis Furthered Her Career in Education to Help Others

Linda and her two sisters were raised by their parents, Joe and Sylvia Reese, in Detroit and the suburbs of Oak Park. The Reese clan is very close; Joe and Reese celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on December 31, 2022.

After graduating from Oak Park High School, Linda took her older sister's lead by enrolling at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where she majored in education.

A young law student, Greg Mathis Sr., was a vital part of her college experience - they dated for four years. Linda's maternal grandmother thought that her granddaughter was "messing with nothing but a crook," the TV judge is the first to admit that he was a "hoodlum."

The Reese family took him in when his mother passed away during his first year of college. The judge did not have a father growing up in the Detroit projects; he credits Joe's guidance and mentorship for showing him how to be a father.

Linda and Greg Sr. got engaged after graduating from EMU and married in a church on June 1, 1985. The newlyweds remained in Detroit, where they grew up to begin their family. Linda was employed as a teacher by the Board of Education.

A few years into her educator career, the Detroit public school teacher opened several educational centers, such as the Children's Advanced Learning Center. They have four children; Jade, Camara, Greg Jr., and Amir.

Linda Reese Held off Her Career to Focus on Raising Her Kids

The lifelong Detroit family relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue new opportunities. In the new city across the country from the only home they ever knew, Linda put her career on hold to focus on family life and their two sons, who were still in high school.

Linda counts amongst her friends another strong mother in entertainment, Tina Knowles.

Along with her entertainment lawyer daughter Camara, the Mathis matriarch launched The She Social, a unique networking event to unite women from diverse backgrounds.

The educator overcame a fear of public speaking at one of the events captured on their reality show. Sylvia wiped away tears as she listened to her daughter open up about her greatest fear. Linda confided that people always told her to "slow down" because she talks very fast:

"I have made a point of embracing that, trying to slow down, trying to make sure that I pronounce things correctly. But I am just a speeder; I don't know why. You know, I always accuse my husband that it is his fault because I can never get a word in because he talks so much."

The Detroit native saw the need for The She Social after moving to LA and missing the gathering with family and friends. The theme of the gathering was "intentional joy in 2022."

Linda counts amongst her friends another strong mother in entertainment, Tina Knowles. She supported her "brilliant and beautiful friend" at the premiere of "Profiled: The Black Man," which Knowles executive produced.

When asked why the Manthis family decided to open their lives to the E! cameras in 2022, like Snoop Dogg, Kimora Lee Simmons, Pamela Anderson, and the most notorious of them all Kim Kardashian, the couple said:

"We view this show as a special opportunity to shift the narrative on Black families and to show America what they haven't always seen when it comes to Black families on television."

Linda Reese Has Been Blissfully Married to Judge Mathis for Almost 40 Years & Keeps Their Romance Alive

Judge Mathis said on Facebook in April 2021 that marrying Linda when he was 25 put him on the right path. The college sweethearts still make an effort to connect as they near their 40th wedding anniversary.

On the E! show, the matriarch gave her daughter Camara a saucy tip to keep the romance alive, always "wearing something that looks sexy" to bed. When a producer asked what the judge sleeps in, she "refused" to disclose that information as she and Camara laughed.

Linda and Greg Sr. love escaping to any place with a view of a peaceful body of water. They often camp out at their beach house without their children.

Linda Reese Is Now a Grandma of Two Girls She Dotes on a Lot

Judge Mathis was always the strict disciplinarian, and his wife Linda "balanced his sentencing" with a lighter touch with their four children. However, when it comes to Camara's daughters, Nora and Zara, he says:

"[As] any good grandparent knows - there are absolutely no rules, and Linda and I let them get away with whatever they want!"

Grandma Linda began imparting her expertise in the kitchen to her grandbaby Nora from a young age. In 2019, Little Nora and her granny baked banana bread, the toddlers' favorite snack, as a practice run for Father's Day.

Nora's grandparents piled her with flowers when she played the lead in the musical "Newsies" production in November 2022. Linda nicknamed Zara her youngest granddaughter, Ms. Smilely.