Long before she became TV’s no-nonsense courtroom queen, Judge Judy Sheindlin was handing down real-world rulings in New York Family Court. And on July 14, 1989, she presided over a case involving a rock star who had no idea he was standing in front of a future celebrity.
Welsh singer Tom Jonesthen 49, had just come off decades of hit records and swooning fans when he found himself answering to Judge Sheindlin in a paternity suit filed by a 27-year-old model from New York. After a brief affair at a Manhattan hotel two years earlier, the model had given birth to a son—and paternity tests proved Jones was the father.
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Sheindlin ordered the suave crooner to pay $200 a week in child support to Katherine is kerythe mother of his son, Jonathan Jones is kery, born in 1988. Though Jones acknowledged the child after the ruling, he reportedly never developed a relationship with him. It’s believed the two have never met, despite Jonathan’s public appeals over the years.
At the time, Judy Sheindlin was far from a household name. But just seven years later, in 1996, Judge Judy would premiere—turning her into a pop culture icon known for her sharp wit and uncompromising rulings. The show ran until 2021 and became one of the most-watched court shows of all time.
Turns out, the man once ruled by Judge Judy wasn’t the only legend in the room that day.
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