If there’s one thing Hollywood is known for, it’s scandals. And it appears not even the seemingly impartial presence of Judge Judy star and former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin is above such allegations of impropriety.
In a new investigation by Business Insider reporter Nicole Einbinder, former Judge Judy employees alleged that Sheindlin, who launched a $25 million streaming show with Amazon earlier this week, “failed to hold the line” against racism, sexual harassment, and abuse happening on her show, Einbinder said on Twitter.
This all apparently stems from Judge Judy‘s longtime executive producer Randy Douthit, who has been repeatedly accused of disturbing behavior, such as ordering producers to bring fewer Black participants on to the show, making offensive and denigrating remarks in regard to litigants, and sexually harassing employees.
In one instance in 2007, the report said that an affidavit it obtained stated former producer Courtney Bullock, who is Black, was sexually harassed, discriminated against, and retaliated against. This included claims, which Bullock filed to the Equal Employment Opportunity, that Douthit repeatedly touched her inappropriately. She claimed she was then retaliated against and fired for not reciprocating his advances.
Another allegation from a former employee stated that Douthit openly talked about women litigants’ breasts while in the control room at show tapings and discussed what he thought their level of attractiveness was, including that he wanted to “get” those he found attractive, but made pig or cow noises for those he found “too ugly” or “too fat.” He also called a Black guest a “ho,” the accusation stated.
Does this change your perception of Judge Judy or the way Hollywood operates? Leave it in the comments below.
