‘Judge Judy’ Fans Freak out on Twitter Thinking Judy Sheindlin Died

Judge Judy is coming to an end after 25 seasons, but fans thought that a much worse fate had befallen beloved TV judge Judy Sheindlin after her name began trending on Twitter. As news of the series’ end rocked the loyal audience, which averages 9 million people, many took to social media to react, giving way to a brief moment of panic for those who were unaware of the news and instead thought fans were flocking to Twitter to pay their respects.

“Too much on a Monday,” wrote one person. “[Judge Judy] trending I thought she died, whew. Not gonna lie I’m bummed about her show ending I freaking love it!”

“Saw [Judge Judy] trending and you motherf–ers almost gave me a heart attack that she died,” added somebody else.

“I saw [Judge Judy] trending and I thought my girl DIED,” tweeted somebody else. “but nah she is just ending the show.”

“Y’all got [Judge Judy] trending at 5 am here and made me wake up thinking she died smfh,” wrote another.

Of course, Sheindlin’s name trending was simply the result of the announcement that her beloved series would be coming to an end next year. The series has been a staple on TV for 25 years, though Sheindlin explained that CBS Television Distribution wants to instead use repeats after the 25th season, which is slated to air during the 2020-2021 television season.

“Judge Judy, you’ll be able to see next year — a full year, all new shows,” she assured fans. “The following couple of years, you should be able to catch all the reruns that CBS has sold to the stations that are currently carrying Judge Judy.”

The series first premiered in 1996 and has consistently ranked as one of the top-rated syndicated program and as TV’s most-watched court show. In 2015, Sheindlin had signed her current contract with CBS, which signed her on for an additional three seasons, which would take her through 2020.