Judge Judy Feels ‘Content’ as She Passes the Gavel to Son Adam Levy: ‘I Don’t Have to Prove Anything Else’ (Exclusive)
Judge Judy Feels ‘Content’ as She Passes the Gavel to Son Adam Levy: ‘I Don’t Have to Prove Anything Else’ (Exclusive)
Eric AnderssonWed, September 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC
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Judith Sheindlin and son Adam LevyCredit: Heidi Gutman/CMV -
Judith Sheindlin, more commonly known as Judge Judy, is stepping away from on-camera work after Judy Justice ends in October
Her son Adam Levy is launching his own court show, Adam’s Law, with her support as a producer
Sheindlin and Levy talk to PEOPLE about their close bond
Judith Sheindlin demands order in the court . . . and at home.
On a recent afternoon at her Greenwich, Conn., estate, the TV personality better known as Judge Judy speaks in that tone — the withering one she has used for three decades to dress down small-claims litigants with wisecracks like “Do you come from a long line of idiots?” — when her shih tzu Joey starts yapping.
“Go to the door and find out who’s there!” she commands. Joey listens. To paraphrase another one of her zingers: She’s the boss, applesauce.
At 83, Sheindlin remains as formidable as ever. But when her Prime Video series Judy Justice ends its run in October, she’ll move away from on-camera work.
“I have a lot of other things of interest,” says Sheindlin, who lists afternoon naps, spending time with family and developing Judyverse, an adult animated series based on the viral AI “Baby Judge Judy” videos, as priorities. “I don’t want to do hair and makeup anymore, but I still want my message to get out there.”
To that end, Sheindlin is also producing Adam’s Law, a syndicated court show featuring her son Adam Levy. It premieres on Sept. 14, almost 30 years to the day after Judge Judy debuted, which is fitting since Levy, 57, rules on small-claims cases with the same acerbic wit as his mom.
Judith Sheindlin on ‘Judge Judy’ (left) and Adam Levy on ‘Adam’s Law’Credit: Paramount TV/Courtesy Everett Collection; Adam's Law TV/YouTube
“There aren’t a lot of people who can carry a half hour on their own unscripted,” says Sheindlin. “He has what it takes.”
Levy learned from his no-nonsense mom early on. Growing up in a blended family in New York City, Levy — one of two children Sheindlin had with ex-husband Ronald Levy before she married Jerry Sheindlin, a father of three, in 1977 — learned to be self-reliant.
Adam Levy and mom Judith Sheindlin in 1981Credit: Courtesy of Judge Judith Scheindlin
“‘If you want baseball cards, don’t ask me for money,’ ” he remembers hearing from his mom, who worked as a prosecutor and family court judge before launching to fame on TV. When he was still in the fourth grade, he launched his own laundry business, charging neighbors 50 cents a load.
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As a young adult, he followed his mom into the legal world. But after graduating from New York’s Hofstra Law School, Levy turned down a job offer to take a year off, intending to become a ski instructor.
Sheindlin “was not happy,” he recalls. So when a rep from the Suffolk County, N.Y., district attorney’s office called Sheindlin’s home, where Levy was living, and offered him a position, Mom accepted on his behalf. “She said, ‘Hi, this is Adam Levy’s mom. And yes, he’s going to take that job.’ ”
Levy worked in private practice and served two terms as the D.A. in Putnam County, N.Y., before joining Tribunal Justice, a Prime Video series featuring a panel of judges, in 2023. After three seasons onscreen, he was primed to go solo, says Sheindlin: “Maybe eight years ago he wasn’t ready. He’s ready now.”
Levy — who shares three children, including daughter Sarah Rose, a law clerk on Judy Justice, with wife Lori Leichtman — says he’s grateful for his “tough cookie” mom.
He sees her frequently when he flies in from his home in Wyoming to tape Adam’s Law episodes in Stamford, Conn. Family dinners remain spirited. “Everyone has their chance to speak,” he says, “but you better be able to back up your position.”
Judith Sheindlin and her family in 2006Credit: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
Those moments of togetherness are what Sheindlin treasures most: “I don’t think that I’ve ever been this content before.”
As a new chapter in her life begins, Sheindlin — who will be celebrated in the CBS special Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable on Tuesday, Sept. 22 — feels confident in her legacy. “I don’t have to prove anything else. I did it.”
Adam’s Law premieres Sept. 14, check your local listings.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
