Renowned TV personality Judy Sheindlin, famous for her role on the beloved show “Judge Judy,” has had an incredible career both in and out of the courtroom. Recently, she celebrated her birthday while reflecting on a serious health scare that happened during a taping of her show.

Judy was born on October 12, 1942, to Jewish parents Ethel and Murray in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, her mother worked as an office manager, and her father ran a dental practice. Judy completed high school at James Madison High School in 1960, then graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., in 1963.

Determined to become a lawyer, Judy enrolled in American University’s Washington College of Law. There, she stood out as the only female student among 126 classmates. She later earned her law degree from New York Law School and passed the New York bar exam in 1965.

Judy started her career as a corporate lawyer for a beauty company but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. “I wasn’t happy, so I decided to make a change,” she said. In 1972, she became a prosecutor, where her career really took off. Judy’s rise to fame began in 1993 when she was featured in The Los Angeles Times, followed by an appearance on “60 Minutes,” which brought her into the public eye.

After serving as a judge for 25 years, Judy retired in 1996 and launched her hit TV show “Judge Judy” that September. Viewers loved her no-nonsense judicial style, and she quickly became a household name.

In March 2011, while filming on set, Judy experienced a scary health episode that turned out to be a mini-stroke. At first, she didn’t want to call for help, but her dedicated crew insisted. “We were worried about you,” one of her long-time colleagues told her. She was hospitalized and later diagnosed with a possible transient ischemic attack, which had caused her double vision and slowed speech earlier that day.

After an amazing 25 seasons, “Judge Judy” came to an end in 2021. During her time on the show, Judy became one of the highest-paid TV hosts, earning a staggering $47 million per season. Now at 81 years old, she has jumped into a new project, “Judy Justice,” which is currently in its second season.

Judy has been married three times, and her current husband is Jerry Sheindlin. Their meeting was unforgettable, taking place at a bar. After a whirlwind romance, they married, divorced, and then remarried, proving their love has stood the test of time. Now, they have been happily together for over thirty years.