What Ever Happened To Judge Judy's Bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd?
Judge Judy Sheindlin isn't quite done just yet. At the age of 79, she continues in the business. In truth, she really doesn't have to continue on, with a more than impressive net worth of $420 million.
She's set for a fresh new relaunch, with 'Judy Justice'. Given the details of the show, it is set to include an entirely different cast, which also features Judy's granddaughter, Sara Rose.
This leads to the next question, what happened to the Bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd, who spent 25 years on the show?
As it turns out, he was very interested in making a return for the reboot, however, he might've been shown the cold shoulder by Sheindlin.
We'll take a look at exactly what transpired between the two and how the actor is keeping busy these days, away from the courtroom drama.
Petri Hawkins-Byrd Spent 25 Seasons On 'Judge Judy' - These Days He's Still Acting
His role was a minor one on 'Judge Judy', nonetheless, Petri Hawkins Byrd was able to make quite the impact as the bailiff on the show, appearing in 25 seasons, which spanned from 1996, all the way to this day and age.
Although he's less present nowadays alongside Judge Judy, that doesn't mean that the actor's career came to an end.
At the age of 64, he is still extremely busy in the business, with a slew of acting work.
Petri has several credits on IMDB for voice-over work, in addition, he's swamped with appearances, including one as 'Jerry the Minister' most recently in 2021 on 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.
Although he isn't alongside Judge Judy regularly anymore, he has a slew of pre-production credits coming his way, including a short film, TV series, and TV movie, along with so much more.
His professional career is far from over, though fans weren't too thrilled when he wasn't invited back to appear alongside Judge Judy in her newest show. Alongside EW Petri Hawkins Byrd discussed the disappointment in not being contacted for a return.
Petri Hawkins Byrd Was Not Asked To Return For 'Judy Justice'
Byrd admitted alongside EW, he would've been very interesting in making a return to the show if asked. He would also reveal that at the very least, he thought an audition would come his way.
Byrd was disappointed by the lack of communication and being left in the dark, so he decided to call Judge Judy herself and ask about the situation.
It is was said that his cost was too high, "She informed me I was not being asked to come along on the project. 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. I was curious: How would she know? She didn't ask me. She didn't give me an opportunity to have accepted a lower salary."
Judy Sheindlin would issue a statement of her own, thanking Byrd for his role on the show, though she admitted it was time to release a new cast.
"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."
The Conversation Between Judy Sheindlin And Petri Hawkins Byrd Ended On Amicable Terms
At the time of the call, Judy thought the purpose of the conversation was due to the lack of closure between the two, given the longevity they shared together. Byrd would also state that he wasn't sure if Judy understood how devastated he was about not continuing on.
"The call with Judy ended pleasantly enough," he says. "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."
"That's just the way it went. I just know that God has something else for me."
As we stated earlier, the actor has more than enough gigs to keep him busy in the upcoming months. In addition, he keeps active on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, launching his own podcast on all pages.
The actor has quite the following, with more than 30K fans on Instagram. Kudos to the daytime star for keeping the ball rolling, despite the recent rejection that he was forced to deal with.
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