Did you know that there is a total of 397 "judge" shows on TV right now? Just turn on your TV at any point during the morning or afternoon and you're bound to catch one. And now one of them, Judge Judy, is being sued by a former producer on the show.
Jonathan Sebastien, who was a producer on Judge Judy for seven years, says he was fired from the show not because ratings were down (the official reason) but because he opposed the racial screening that occurs on the show. Sebastien says that the show's supervisor, Randy Douthit, told him that he didn't want to do "anymore black shows" or have "black people arguing" or hear "black language on TV." Sebastien says that he got cases that involved black people and they were turned down.
Parties being sued are Douthit, Paramount, CBS, and Big Ticket Television.
[via TV Tattle]














Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
1-02-2008 @ 4:32PM
edd said...
RACE WAR! RACE WAR!
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1-03-2008 @ 3:13PM
Donna said...
I am amazed that Judge Judy hasn't gotten sued before now.she is prejudiced and has her mind made up long before she passes judgement.I hope she loses,But she already is a loser in my book.
1-03-2008 @ 4:12PM
L said...
This is such an outragious claim. Judge Judy is a genuinely good person and might I add that she is married to a black man. Why on earth would she be accused of racial discrimination??? What she is guilty of, is having little patience for laziness, cheaters, liars, thieves, ruthless and just palin stupid people.
1-02-2008 @ 6:54PM
No1Dad said...
Seems like a pretty ridiculous lawsuit. Not saying if it's a good idea or not, but The Judge Judy Show has as much right to gear it's programming toward 'white' audiences as Ebony Magazine does to gear their content toward black audiences. It's not a matter or racism. You can't just start suing your boss for disagreeing with their business decisions.
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1-03-2008 @ 2:14PM
gsassyur said...
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1-03-2008 @ 2:27PM
Bret said...
EXACTLY! If there was a 'White Miss America' pagent this country would cave in!! How about 'White Entertainment Television'?? They have all the right in the world to broadcast what they want.
1-03-2008 @ 2:40PM
ponurse2 said...
Thank you for speaking the truth.
1-03-2008 @ 3:21PM
godsoulrebelarmy said...
Its funny you can say that about Ebony Magazine, but what about the "white" magazines out there? Cosmo? Elle? 17? The rest that I didn't name? Its way more of those then there are Ebony, Essence, and Jet. So your point is irrelavent. The Ebony, Essence, and Jets were made because blacks were tired of feeling like there was nothing out there for THEM and you can't blame them for feeling that way. Thats the reason BET was made after MTV. It is a matter of racism when you are saying you don't want someone on your show because they are black. Thats like Judge Joe saying he doesn't want to hear anymore "white lanuage" or "white people arguing". That is RACIST! If you are too blinded to see that, then I will pray for you and the others out there like you. Its sad to know blacks are still grouped into categories of acting a certain way because they don't all act alike and that goes for any race. No one acts the same. I wished closed minded individuals would realize its not your ethnicity, its YOU! You act the way you want to. Color doesn't make you act a certain way. It breaks my heart to know racism is still an issuse, when we as American people have bigger problems on our hands like the corrupt world we live in, but no one wants to do anything about that. Lets just all sit around and argue about pointless things like the color of our skin! Way to go America! God Bless.
1-03-2008 @ 3:56PM
jvrsshurricane said...
But Sebastian said he had conversations with his boss and his boss said that "we don't want any more black language on tv, we don't want any more blacks on the show." You can't say that isn't rascist be it a business or not. I never heard BET say that they didn't want any more white language on tv. I think he has a case if he can find more solid proof of discrimination.
1-03-2008 @ 1:41AM
A.S said...
That reasoning by the supervisor is sick.
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1-03-2008 @ 11:13AM
Joanna said...
I'm glad!!! I am tired of seeing that as well. There are other shows that have it and what is wrong with Judge Judy saying we want to show different people? That's like suing Oprah for not doing fightin' inlaws and paternity test reveal shows.
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1-03-2008 @ 3:31PM
Shut up already! said...
I agree, and maybe, just maybe, if you found a couple of black people who let each other finish a sentence, they wouldn't feel that way! OH NO YOU DIDN'T!
1-03-2008 @ 2:12PM
claudia said...
If Judge Judy was gearing her audience towards non-blacks, then Judge Joe Brown and Judge Mathis are picking up the non-whites. It all comes out fair in the end.
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1-03-2008 @ 2:14PM
Dave said...
SHE'S ABOUT AS POPULAR AS THAT ASSH__E ROSIE O'PORKO
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1-03-2008 @ 2:14PM
george said...
This is hysterical in a way-her and the former producer can duke it out on Judge Hatchett or Judge Alex,lol.
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1-03-2008 @ 2:14PM
Celina said...
Anyone who takes the time to air their dirty laundry to a TV judge on national TV, and anyone who calls themselve any type of producer of this TV crap, is a looser from the start -- this includes Blacks and Whites and anyone inbetween!
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1-03-2008 @ 2:17PM
DAVID said...
There are entirely too many inane, stupid "judge" shows on tv now, and Judge Judy is the lone shining example of a good show.
Dumbass blacks are being used and exploited on the other shows, but seem to be too stupid to notice.
YOU GO JUDY!! (maam).
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1-03-2008 @ 2:50PM
ToDumbAssDavid said...
David...tsk, tsk. You shouldn't generalize. "Dumbass blacks"? Hate to say it bro...well no I don't, you're a bigot. It's fine to have an opinion on something, but be accurate and don't make a blanket statement about an entire group of people that you probably have little to no contact with. You're certainly showing your true color....RED (equiped with horns and a tail...or Al Pacino...whatever aesthetic you like).
1-03-2008 @ 2:17PM
IVAN NEGRON said...
I donīt care much for judge shows but is good someone is doing something to that woman, Judy, the bitchiest of them all. Imagine, who can trust the validity of the walk of fame, with the likes of Bogie, the Duke, etc, when they have there elements like Michael Jackson and this bitch?
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1-03-2008 @ 2:20PM
sue said...
Wow, maybe that's why I enjoy her show so much
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