Community Chat

[JaneMarple]

From Variety: 

Judge Judy Sheindlin scored a monster payday last year, when she sold her show’s library to CBS for a reported $95 million to $100 million.

Now TV’s highest-paid performer is being sued for allegedly withholding a portion of the proceeds — $4.75 million — from two producers who helped launch the program more than two decades ago.

The producers, Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman, have been to court several times before to enforce their rights to the program. The issue even went to trial in 2000, and has been subject to various settlements.

The controversy has now outlived Spreckman, who died in 2009. On Friday, Switzer and Spreckman’s estate filed suit in L.A. Superior Court, alleging they were denied their rightful 5% stake in the sale of the library last year.

Sheindlin obtained the rights to the library in an earlier negotiation with Big Ticket Entertainment and CBS. Sheinlin shopped the rights around before selling the library back to CBS for the reported $95 million.

The lawsuit names Sheinlin, Big Ticket and CBS as defendants, and seeks to recover the $4.75 million from them.

Richard Lawrence, who served as the agent for Switzer and Spreckman, also has a pending lawsuit. He contends that his share of the proceeds of the show dried up after 2010 because CBS and Big Ticket awarded Sheindlin an absurdly generous salary.

[Mz iMac]

Response to suit.....

[ValuSkr]

Interesting.  I wonder if the parties will agree settle their case in People's Court.

[Pook]

Nobody knows the details and what actually is true.  It could be that what those 2 claimed they were doing was actually part of their job (which is whatI suspect) and now they see a way for quick cash.  

[SahmIam]

Ok, where did I read this....Either at a doctors' office or a salon but there was a long and interesting article about Judge Judy and how the show came to be. What stood out was the fact she had this library because nobody else had bothered to keep a copy of all the shows (they didn't think her show would take off) and that in the beginning, she FOUGHT for these two women to be heard by the "Big Boys". 

As I recall, these two women wouldn't have been given the time of day if Judge Judy hadn't stood up on their behalf and informed the Powers THat Be that they were the ideas behind the show and they had to be part of everything else Judge Judy would walk away. I was impressed that Judge Judy didn't take poop from the Hollywood crowd as well as making sure the little guys (gals) weren't cut out of any deal. The library was her idea/her choice to do and it was SMART. 

After reading that article (it was written when the deal of selling her library was being discussed as a possibility), there was no mention that these women were outraged enough to sue; in fact, she had only positive and wonderful things to say about them.

Interesting.

[Deanie]

@SahmIam  I always take what I read, take the square root, divide that by 100, subtract 100 and what remains may be a reasonable facsimile of a percentage that the story is accurate..

[SahmIam]

@Deanie  Lol. 

[viva923]

I do like Judge Judy show and watch it all the time. I have learned some facts about what to do and what not to do when signing papers and such.

I may not agree with her findings all the time, but she is pretty level headed.

will be interesting to see how this suit plays out.

[kivah]

Whenever someone is successful, people come out of the woodwork years later to claim their share. I'm sure Judge Judy will win this case!!!! Same thing happened to Lady Gaga. A guy from her past claimed that he's responsible for her success. ShowBiz is a "dirty" biz.