- This famous woman had a successful legal career for several decades.
- But her love life went through its fair share of challenges.
- Despite that, she and her second husband raised five children, three of whom followed in their footsteps.
The television star knew that she wanted to have children and realized it was time for her to get married. At 20 years old, she married her first husband and thereafter quit her job to raise her two children. For some time, she was happy to do all the duties that involved being a stay-at-home mom.
But several years into being a housewife, the woman was bored. She then decided to go back to school for a master’s degree to restart her legal career. The problem was that her spouse didn’t like the change.
He believed that her job was just a hobby, which caused tension in the couple’s marriage. The husband’s refusal to take his wife’s job seriously forced them apart. The pair divorced after 12 years of marriage.
The woman’s decision to divorce her partner was not an easy one. She said, “It was scary. I was the first divorce in my family.” Within a short time, she met another man who would soon be her second husband.
The man first met the woman in a bar while speaking to a journalist. “I just finished trying a murder case as a defense lawyer,” he said. She walked up to him, put her finger in his face, and asked who he was.
“I said, ‘Lady, get your finger out of my face.’ We’ve been together ever since,” he recalled. Although the man had been separated from his first wife for about three years, they were not yet officially divorced. As their romance progressed, he still hadn’t divorced his wife, so the woman gave him an ultimatum:
“After we were together for about a year, I said, ‘I want to see your divorce in the newspaper, or don’t bother calling again.'”
In 1990, the future world-renowned public figure experienced the devastating loss of her father. Reeling from the grief, she told the man it was her turn to be taken care of. However, the husband wasn’t accustomed to what his wife asked for and didn’t know how to care for her. He asked her:
“Tell me what you want me to do, you can’t just say ‘take care of me.’ What does that mean?”
She didn’t specify what she needed from him and asked him to take care of her. The woman then told him that she would divorce him if he couldn’t fulfill her request. He dared her to, and 24 hours later, they divorced.
Jerry Sheindlin and Judy Sheindlin attend 46th Annual Spirit of Achievement Luncheon on May 1, 2000 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
However, the divorce left both exes, Judge Judy, and her partner Jerry Sheindlin angry. Judy soon realized her mistake. “I missed Jerry. I like to have someone to fuss over. I like to be mated. It’s natural for me. I learned the hard way that sometimes what you think makes you happy won’t,” she said.
Judy also likes to look good for her husband, who has never seen her without combed hair and lipstick on.
Judges Jerry and Judy Sheindlin attend Merv Griffin’s Coconut Club for a special performance by Polly Bergen, on January 13, 2001 in Beverley Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Jerry also realized that their divorce was a mistake. He said, “I missed her presence in the very first week that we were separated. It was the first time in years that we didn’t get to see each other every day. It was strange.”
A year into their divorce, Jerry decided to call Judy and ask her out on a date. She agreed, and they met for dinner later that evening, to his surprise. They gradually grew closer to one another through the year.
Jerry still missed Judy deeply. He also didn’t like that someone else had set her up with another guy. Judy told him that the date was a disaster after she ordered healthy food for him. The date never called her back.
Jerry Sheindlin and Judy Sheindlin attend Ladies’ Home Journal “One Smart Lady Award” on February 23, 2000 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Adam followed in his mother’s footsteps and pursued a law career.
The disaster of the date pleased Jerry, and he realized that they would soon rekindle their romance. One day after Jerry picked Judy up from the family court, he told her he was uncomfortable spending time with her but not being married to her.
They both decided to walk to the clerk’s office to get a marriage license. The office agreed to waive the 24-hour waiting period. Judy and her husband called their very close friends to witness the wedding.
Judy Sheindlin, Jerry Sheindlin and family attend Ladies’ Home Journal “One Smart Lady Award” on February 23, 2000 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Judy had two children from her previous marriage with Ronald Levy, and Jerry had three. Judy’s firstborn, Jamie, was born in 1966 in New York City. Her second, Adam, was born in 1968.
Adam followed in his mother’s footsteps and pursued a law career. He served as the Putnam County district attorney for years but later faced some controversy about meddling in a case.
Jerry’s children are Nicole, Gregory, and Jonathan. Nicole graduated from New York Law School in 1993 and is the founder and CEO of “Her Honor Mentoring.”
Judge Judy Sheindlin and husband Jerry Sheindlin are seen on October 14, 2018 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Gregory is also a lawyer based in New York. Their brother, Jonathan, is a doctor who studied ophthalmology and visual sciences. Between Judy and Jerry, they have 13 grandchildren.
The couple is as strong as ever, and Judy is still attracted to her husband. “I still like to see him walk into a room. He looks good,” she said. She warned him to keep a reasonable figure throughout their marriage.
Judy also likes to look good for her husband, who has never seen her without combed hair and lipstick on. They also share a good sense of humor. Speaking to “Daily Mail,” Judy said she kept her many awards all over the house.
Judy Sheindlin and her husband Jerry Sheindlin arrive at the Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai’s Annual Luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on April 13, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
But she added that she never kept any awards in the bedroom because nobody should be getting prizes in the bedroom. Jerry responded,” No awards? She just gave me an award last night. I’m going to have to talk to her about that.”
The couple remained together, and Jerry always supported Judy throughout her television success. Judy felt that if she worked hard, she could have a family and a successful career, and she certainly did.
