After 30 years on the air, Judge Judy is finally retiring

A reality TV staple is leaving the airwaves after 30 years, as Judge Judy has announced her retirement. Judge Judy, or Judith B. Sheindlin, has been on the air since 1996, passing down judgments that were final and often bitingly funny, which made the show a hit and the woman herself a household name.

Now, though, Judge Judy is choosing to step away — at least from being in front of the cameras. Instead, she explained that she’ll focus on behind-the-scenes work on her son’s new show as she passes the mantle to him, while continuing to get her message out in other ways.

Judge Judy explains why she’s retiring

Sheindlin, now 83, and her son, Adam Levy, star of the new show created by Sheindlin called Adam’s Law, recently appeared on Good Morning America. When asked by one of the hosts why she was choosing to retire now, during the 30th anniversary of Judge Judy, Sheindlin had plenty to say.

After she stated that her son was finally ready, she reportedly further explained, “And, you know, I’ve aged pretty well over the years. Reasonably. I look better than my grandmother did at my age, which didn’t take a lot. But it’s time for me to— and I’m still going to be creative, still out there. I’m just going to take the message and put it in a little bit of a different form. I’m going to become the Benjamin Button of court.”

Though she may no longer be on camera, it sounded like Sheindlin still had plenty of work she wanted to do.

Judge Judy’s past and future works

Though the original Judge Judy stopped filming new episodes in 2021, it still runs in syndication and on streaming platforms (and will likely continue to do so, so fans can keep enjoying Sheindlin’s wit as she hands down judgments). After the original, Sheindlin went on to a spinoff called Judy Justice on Amazon Prime. That show still has a few episodes left, but will finish up in October 2026.

Adam’s Law, Levy’s new show, began airing in national syndication in September 2026. He shared some of the advice his mother had given him about the new show while on Good Morning America: “She said, ‘Be yourself and don’t screw this up. On brand and direct, yes.”

He then reportedly continued, “She was there from the beginning giving me advice on how to do the show. And then every case that we have, she always has some input. It’s just incredible.”

In addition to working on Adam’s Law, Sheindlin is also hard at work developing Judyverse. Judyverse is based on the viral AI “Baby Judge Judy” videos and will be an animated show for adults. Her long career will also be celebrated in a special on CBS titled Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable, which will air on September 22, 2026, at 8 p.m. EST and also on Paramount+.

When asked about her legacy, Judge Judy reportedly said, “I don’t have to prove anything else. I did it.”

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