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Judge Joe Brown’s Defensiveness Over Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Non-Accusation Raises Eyebrows

Judge Joe Brown on Jimmy Kimmel Live, looking confused and pointing to his own head.

Some men really tell on themselves. Let me explain: Sheryl Lee Ralph, who is a national treasure, recently, on the podcast The Way Up With Angela Yee, talked about an experience in which she was sexually assaulted by a “famous TV judge” years ago.

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She told them, “I’m at a very public place. I was suited. I had my suit on. I was handling my business for the television show I was on at that time. He and I were on the same network. This man walked in, grabbed me by the back of my neck, turned me around and rammed his nasty ass tongue down my throat, and everybody at the network saw it.”

Now, I want you to read that quote very carefully. She did not name and shame this vile, disgusting man. No one was the wiser about who he was, but Judge Joe Brown decided to take it upon himself to threaten legal action against a “certain lady” after people online began to theorize that Ralph was talking about him, thus telling on himself. Also, he is running for mayor of Memphis, Tennessee—seems like a random aside right now, but it will be pertinent for a conspiracy theory later on. I wish I were making that up.

Now, I am neither a judge, nor did I play one on TV, but I do know that saying nothing is free in an instance like this, especially when Ralph did not name Brown to begin with. This seems to be one of those instances where you say to Brown, “Congratulations, you played yourself.” Again, I’m not a lawyer, but he outed himself as the person being referred to. If he wants to attack the person defaming him, does he have to deliver a cease and desist to himself? Presumably right after he trips on a banana peel, while a trombone plays a sad “whomp-whomp,” so comical and outlandish is the whole situation to begin with?

Not one to miss the chance for publicity, Brown used the interest in this story to jump on some truly atrocious podcasts to further drag Ralph’s name through the mud. (If you want to go find them, you can sully your Google algorithm, friend. I shan’t be giving them further clicks here.)

I can only stress that, again, Ralph did not name Brown. The only further comment she’s given is to say that it was not Judge Greg Mathis. Per Variety:

Ralph made sure to note it was not Judge Greg Mathis. “I love him. He’s a great man,” she said of the “Judge Mathis” star. “Not him at all. He’s a great man. This was another one.”

So why does Brown think Ralph would make this up? Well, if you speak bananas rightwing conspiracies and you are misogynistic, look no further than the DNC, friends:

So you tell me what’s more likely: a man in power abusing it, or a state lawmaker in Pennsylvania being inexplicably in cahoots with the DNC to tip the scales in a citywide race in Tennessee?!

Also, how is this going to help your campaign, man?! I’ve been to Memphis; I did not see a bunch of people wearing tinfoil hats screaming about these things.

Look, I am not certain of many things in life, but I am pretty confident that the city government of Memphis, which is 64% Democrat, is going to remain safely liberal and it will have nothing to do with Sheryl Lee Ralph. I sincerely doubt Democrats believe they need any help defeating you considering how deftly you’re handling that yourself by making incredibly gross and bizarre comments about the possibility of a woman being mayor.

Maybe next time, don’t insert yourself into a conversation that isn’t naming you, and things will work out better for you, Joe Brown. But also, thank you for telling on yourself. I had forgotten you existed, and I’m glad that if I have to be reminded of you, at least I’m fully aware of what kind of person you are.

(featured image: Jesse Grant/WireImage.com/ABC)

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Author
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson (no, not that one) has been writing about pop culture and reality TV in particular for six years, and is a Contributing Writer at The Mary Sue. With a deep and unwavering love of Twilight and Con Air, she absolutely understands her taste in pop culture is both wonderful and terrible at the same time. She is the co-host of the popular Bravo trivia podcast Bravo Replay, and her favorite Bravolebrity is Kate Chastain, and not because they have the same first name, but it helps.

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