A prominent member of the Judge Judy show says he was not asked to join the TV judge’s new IMDb program, Judy Justice.
Longtime bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd recently talked about being left behind and his wife’s health battle (his wife Makita Bond-Byrd was a Judge Judy producer for many years) in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“My assumption is if you were going on to do something else, that you were at least going to ask me if I wanted to have the opportunity to audition for the role,” Byrd said.
“She informed me I was not being asked to come along on the project,” he continued. “I didn’t inquire as to why, that’s her choice. But she did inform me that fundamentally, I was priced out as the new bailiff on her new show. My salary would have been too much.”
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Byrd had been by Judge Judy Sheindlin’s side as her bailiff since the show premiered in 1996.
A spokesperson for Sheindlin told EW, “Byrd is terrific and we had a great 25-year run. This is a whole new program with a whole new cast and an exciting energy.”
Judge Judy ended its run on July 23.
The Bold and the Beautiful guest actor said he has no hard feelings against the 78-year-old former prosecutor.
“The call with Judy ended pleasantly enough,” he said. “I don’t think she understood how confused and dismayed I was after being there for 25 years, from the beginning of her career, and not being at least given the opportunity to say whether or not I wanted to continue that relationship.”
While Byrd wasn’t asked to join Judy Justice, his wife was called upon for her production duties but she declined in order to focus on her recovery from brain surgery earlier this year.
Judy Justice premieres Nov. 1 and will showcase Judge Judy in a dark purple robe while doling out her sentencing.
Watch a preview clip of the new streaming spinoff show below:
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