The last time Judge Judy was in the news was after people discovered Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who charged police officers with murder for Freddie Gray's death, once appeared on the show. This time the daytime TV staple is being talked about after a lawsuit against the courtroom show revealed Judge Judy's annual salary is an eye-popping $47 million.
Judge Judy Sheindlin and CBS are facing a lawsuit from Rebel Entertainment Partners for failing to make contractual payments since 2010 citing money loss but still paying Sheindlin an enormous annual salary, Deadline reports.
According to Rebel Entertainment Judge Judy, now in its 20th season, has made more than $1.7 billion since its 1996 debut. Forbes reports Judge Judy averages 10 million viewers daily.
The lawsuit states the 73-year-old Sheindlin was earning $45 million as of early 2010, more than big TV personalities like David Letterman, who was making $28 million, and Jay Leno, who was making $25 million.
"And in 2013, when Sheindlin was reportedly receiving $47 million annually, no one else came close, as the next highest salaries in non-scripted television were Jon Stewart ($30 million), Matt Lauer ($25 million), and Jay Leno ($20 million)," state the documents.
Sheindlin has called the lawsuit "hilarious." She said:
When you're making that much money everything is a joke.
