COUPLESWho Is Judge Judy's Husband? 8 Things to Know About Jerry Sheindlin
Judge Judy Sheindlin and her husband, Jerry Sheindlin, have married each other twice.
Oct. 11 2026, Published 12:05 a.m. ET
Love proved sweeter the second time around for Judge Judy Sheindlin and her husband, Jerry Sheindlin.
Before Jerry, Judy was married to prosecutor Ronald Levy from 1964 to 1976, and the former couple share two children. She later found love with Jerry, though their marriage briefly ended in divorce in 1990.
The pair reconciled soon after and tied the knot again just one year later.
"I missed her presence the very first week that we were separated," Jerry shared in Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue's 2020 book, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life. "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."
Judy echoed the sentiment, "I like being married. I missed him."
Continue reading to learn more about Judy's husband, Jerry, and their enduring marriage.
Jerry Sheindlin Is a Korean War Veteran
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Sheindlin have a blended family.
Born on November 19, 1933, in New York City, Jerry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before earning his bachelor's degree from Long Island University. He then completed his law degree at Brooklyn Law School in 1959, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Jerry Sheindlin Built a Career as a Trial Judge and Author
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Sheindlin briefly separated during their nearly five-decade relationship.
After graduating, Jerry began his career as a criminal defense lawyer and went on to spend 22 years as a partner at Adlerberg & Sheindlin.
His legal career soon moved from the courtroom floor to the bench after he was appointed a U.S. administrative law judge in 1980. He became a judge on the New York City Criminal Court and had risen to the New York State Supreme Court by 1986.
Beyond the courtroom, Jerry also established himself as an author, writing two books: Genetic Fingerprinting: The Law and Science of DNA Evidence and Blood Trail.
Jerry Sheindlin Became Presiding Judge on 'The People's Court'
Judge Judy Sheindlin was previously married to Ronald Levy.
In the fall of 1999, Jerry made the move to television when he joined The People's Court as a courtroom judge after he was tapped to succeed former New York City Mayor Ed Koch. At the time, he told the Los Angeles Times that the Judge Judy star encouraged him to accept the role.
"She is the one who told me I should do it," he revealed. "If she had any reservations at all, I wouldn't have done it."
The native New Yorker added, "I think that behind every great woman there is a man. So I may be behind her now, but I also heard a rumor that behind every great man there is a woman. So we'll have to wait and see how it plays out."
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Met at a Bar
Judge Judy Sheindlin said her husband has 'always been supportive' of her.
In the same interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jerry recalled how he and Judy met at a bar after he had just finished trying a murder case.
"She was a prosecutor. There was a reporter from the New York Post there at the bar, and I was speaking to him about the case. 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," he shared.
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Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Married in 1977
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Sheindlin have both worked on television.
Judy and Jerry tied the knot in 1977, but it came only after their relationship reached a crossroads.
At the time, Jerry had already been separated from his first wife for several years without legally ending the marriage. About a year into their relationship, she made it clear he had to finalize the divorce or risk losing her.
"I actually had to drag him to the altar," Judy recalled in Marlo and Phil's book. "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.'"
Jerry added, "I said, 'I'm not going to do that. So she whipped out a calendar and said, 'Pick a date. Now.'"
Jerry Sheindlin Has 3 Children From a Previous Marriage
Judge Judy Sheindlin shares two children with her first husband.
Jerry and his first wife welcomed three children — Gregory, Jonathan and Nicole — during their marriage. Judy, meanwhile, shares two children with Ronald.
Together, their blended family includes five children and 13 grandchildren.
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Divorced in 1990
The split was brief.
Jerry and Judy's romance hit a rough patch when they divorced in 1990.
He later revealed the split came after his wife warned him that she would end their marriage if he could not work through the situation.
"She said to me, 'If you can't maneuver this, I'm going to divorce you,'" Jerry revealed in the 2020 book. "And I said, 'Oh, yeah? I dare you.' And the next day I got divorce papers. The next day. So, that was the end of that."
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Remarried a Year After the Divorce
Jerry Sheindlin and Judge Judy Sheindlin reunited after the 1990 divorce.
The split did not last long as they reconciled after Jerry invited Judy to dinner following their divorce. In 1991, they exchanged vows again in the chambers of a friend on the New York State Supreme Court, who also presided over the ceremony.
"You don't spend 24 hours together because that's deadly," she told E! News in 2024. "Jerry just celebrated his 90th birthday, and I still like to look at him when he walks in the room — that's a key."
