Who is Judge Judy? Florida celebrity jurist Judy Sheindlin is now the plaintiff. Here's why

Judge Judy is heading to court soon but for a different reason than she's used to.

The celebrity judge filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida after a popular tabloid published article claiming she is seeking a new trial for the long-convicted Menéndez brothers. A claim she says is “unequivocally false.”

"When you fabricate stories about me in order to make money for yourselves with no regard for the truth or the reputation I’ve spent a lifetime cultivating, it’s going to cost you," she told Deadline on Monday morning. "When you’ve done it multiple times, it’s unconscionable and will be expensive. It has to be expensive so that you will stop.

Who is 'Judge Judy' Sheindlin? Where does she live in Florida?

Judy Sheindlin is a nationally known judge and media personality, propelling into stardom back in 1996 with her "Judge Judy" show that gave viewers an inside look into the courtroom.

Running for 25 seasons until ending in 2021, fans watched as Sheindlin tackled real small-claims cases in the televised courtroom, dishing out her iconic no-nonsense remarks. According to Forbes, she earned a whopping $47 million per year from the show between 2012 and 2020.

Sheindlin has lived part time in Naples for decades and is occasionally seen at the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival and other local society events. According to a 2015 Naples Daily News report, the Sheindlins have lived part-time in the North Naples area since 2005.

She has since moved on to a new show, "Judy Justice," which streams on Amazon Prime and Amazon's FreeVee.

What is defamation?

According to Cornell Law, defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation, including slander and libel. Famous defamation lawsuits include:

• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan -  In 1964, an Alabama police commissioner filed a lawsuit against the New York Times over an advertisement published by the Times. Despite the commissioner claiming the ad contained false information, the Supreme Court sided with the Times, saying it needed to have been “published with knowing falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.”

• Jones v. Heslin - Parents of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting filed a suit against commentator Alex Jones over lies and misinformation about the event, claiming the shooting was a conspiracy. The courts ordered Jones to pay approximately $1 billion in actual damages to the families of the victims.

• Depp v. Heard - Movie star Johnny Depp filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, after she detailed abuse she received in an Washington Post article. Despite not naming Depp in the article, he claimed the information pointed to him. Depp was awarded a $10 million settlement in his suit while Heard was awarded $2 million herself.

However, Cornell notes, defamation lawsuits are difficult to win.

"Defamation is a tricky area of law as the lines between stating an opinion versus a fact can be vague, and defamation tests the limits of the first amendment freedoms of speech and press," Cornell writes.

Who is Judge Judy suing for defamation?

Sheindlin is suing Accelerate360, the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly.

The article published by Accelerate360 on Wednesday, April 10 titled "Inside Judge Judy’s Quest to Save the Menendez Brothers Nearly 35 Years After Their Parents’ Murder” claims Sheindlin believed Lyle and Erik Menéndez did not receive fair due process during their second murder trial in 1996, the complaint obtained by USA TODAY says.

The National Enquirer also ran the story on the front page of its print and digital editions, according to the suit.

According to USA TODAY, Sheindlin is seeking a jury trial and unspecified “general and special damages," according to the 60-page suit filed by California attorney Eric M. George on Monday in the Collier County, Florida Circuit Court.

“By tarnishing (Sheindlin's) reputation as a fair-minded and good judge of character and facts, (Accelerate360's) lies have injured (Sheindlin) by deterring viewers from watching her shows,” the suit says. “These lies have injured and, as they continue to circulate, continue to and will injure, (Sheindlin) by discouraging parties from bringing their disputes before her."

Who are the Menendez brothers?

Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez's case has been the subject of several documentaries, shows and movies over the years after it became must-see TV as the trials unfolded.

The brothers were convicted in 1996 of fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion. They called 911, telling operators they came home from seeing a movie and found their parents' dead bodies.

It was found they shot their parents several times with shotguns, including at point-blank range to the head. The pair were arrested months later after one of the brothers allegedly confessed to a psychologist and the other threatened to kill the doctor.

They had three separate trials, during which People Magazine recounts the brothers alleged that José was physically, emotionally and sexually abusive and that Kitty was addicted to drugs and alcohol, physically abusive and an enabler of José.

The brothers were each convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Does Judge Judy have a connection to the Menendez brothers?

No, she does not.

The article published by the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly included comments from a FOX Nation docuseries made by "Judi Ramos," which the show identified as a woman who was an alternate juror in the initial Menéndez trial, according to the suit.

Sheindlin claims the outlets misattributed Ramos' comments to her.

"It entirely misquoted its source material, which identified the speaker of the challenged statements by name — an individual identified onscreen in the docuseries as ‘Judi Zamos,’ and as an ‘Alternate Juror, First Trial,’” according to the suit. “Judge Sheindlin has never gone by the name Judi Zamos, nor was she an alternate juror in the Menendez trial.”

Where are Menéndez brothers now?

Erik Menendez and Lyle Menéndez are still in prison in California, separated for over 20 years. In 2018, the brothers were reunited when Erik was transferred to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.

According to People, there have been efforts to overturn their convictions, with attorneys for the brothers filing a petition with the court last year. They cited allegations against José featured in the Peacock docuseries "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed," as well as a newly discovered letter Erik wrote to one of his cousins describing his father’s sexual abuse just months before the murders.

Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Judy Judge lawsuit over Menéndez brothers reporting filed in Florida