The battle between Judy Sheindlin and CBS against Rebel Entertainment Partners over the sale of $95 million of the Judy Judy library is over, but it’s not completed.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kristin S. Escalante has granted a request by Sheindlin, Big Ticket Pictures and Paramount Global’s CBS for the dismissal of the suit that has been pending for two years from the self-described “successor in interest” Rebel on the more than $5 million that the company claims to owe in respect of the admittedly complicated sale of 2017.
“Defendants Big Ticket Pictures, Inc.; CBS Studios, Inc.; CBS Corporation; Judith Sheindlin; and Her Honor, Inc. are entitled to judgment in their favor on all causes of action as fully reflected in the Order, which is signed and filed on this date and incorporated herein by reference to the Court file,” the judge wrote in his 29th September order.
The judge said later in the day her order in writing: “Given the foregoing conclusions, the court does not need to reach the question whether CBS’ s reacquisition of rights from Sheindlin constituted a ‘sale’ by Sheindlin to CBS under the 1999 Settlement Agreement”.
However, before the victory dances commence, the Freedman + Taitelman-represented Rebel has a tune of its own to play.
“The judge found that despite CBS’s consistent denial that a sale of the Judge Judy library had never occurred, CBS’s own financial records showed that not to be the case,” Hollywood lawyer Bryan Freedman told Deadline on Thursday. “Given the fact that this case will be determined by the appeals court. We are certain that the appeals court will decide in the favor of our client.”
As reported by Deadline Reps for Sheindlin currently hosting Judy Justice has not commented regarding the verdict in the frequently acidic lawsuit. CBS Media Ventures also had no comment. Sheindlin as well as Her Honor shingle, Her Honor shingle, CBS and Big Ticket were represented in this instance by Loeb and the Loeb’s Jim Curry.
There have been a number of lawsuits involving all 25 seasons on the highly lucrative and well-loved courtroom drama as well as another lawsuit brought by Rebel the matter of a jury was first brought in the middle of the first round of Covid-19’s pandemic in the month of August, 2020. The suit was filed against former CBS overlord Les Moonves, the former CBS director of programming Armando Nunez Sheindlin as well as others regarding the apparent low-balled sale of the show that was canceled five years back, Rebel alleged it was due 5% of the earnings from Judge Judy the show, and an equal amount of enrichments such as the off-again, on-again and off-again 2017 library sale.
Naturally, Sheindlin and CBS declared that they believed that the they believed that the original Judge Judy packager talent agent Richard Lawrence and his Abrams, Rubaloff & Lawrence firm had gone over their heads in this case. “If Mr. Lawrence can produce a contract, signed by me and Mr. Lawrence on the same page, at any time in history from the beginning of time, I will toast that contract, smear it with cream cheese and eat it on national television,” Sheindlin said to Deadline in the moment. There is no contract, and no eating has ever occurred, and it must be noted.
In the irony at the core of Hollywood’s business Hollywood this latest lawsuit is likely to be the subject of further appeals, despite the fact that the parties involved have gone on to other matters.
After efforts to negotiate an arrangement with CBS TV Distribution for more seasons of the Emmy-winning daytime drama, which paid her an annual salary of $47 million failed, Sheindlin announced the end of Judge Judy in 2020. Connecting with the former CBS director Scott Koondel’s Sox Entertainment, the former Manhattan family judge was soon pitching an upcoming series. The show was able to find an enticing place on streaming, with the debut in November 2021 of Judy Justice on IMDb TV owned by Amazon which is now known as Freevee..
Judy Justice was renewed for another season in March and new episodes are scheduled within the next few weeks.