Petri Hawkins-Byrd, best known as Judge Judy Sheindlin’s bailiff on “Judge Judy,” says he will not reprise his role in the spinoff series “Justice Judy.”The 63-year-old television personality told “Entertainment Weekly” that he was excluded from the new series, but he learned about it when Sheindlin made the announcement in 2020 during an appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.””My assumption is that if you were going to do something else, you would at least ask me if I wanted to audition for the role,” Byrd explained to Sheindlin, noting that the pair never discussed the new show while filming the 25th and final season of “Judge Judy.
“Byrd explained that he “didn’t have time to think about or ask about ‘Judy Justice,'” because after filming wrapped, he had to focus on his wife, Makita Bond-Byrd, who is also a veteran show producer, who was scheduled to have brain surgery. Doctors were able to remove 95 percent of her tumour, according to “EW.”Byrd revealed that he finally contacted Sheindlin in July.
“She informed me that I was not being asked to participate in the project,” he explained. “I didn’t ask why; that’s her decision.” But she did tell me that I was essentially priced out of being the new bailiff on her new show. My salary would have been excessive.””She didn’t give me the opportunity to accept a lower salary,” the star 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 given the opportunity to say whether or not I wanted to continue that relationship,” he later added.Byrd was replaced by Kevin Rasco, who claims to have served as Sheindlin’s personal security guard while she was on the show. Fans of the syndicated show were outraged by the news of Byrd’s replacement, with one tweeting, “@ByrdtheBailiff deserved better after 25 years….SMH.” @JudgeJudyTV, you’re a jerk!”
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