Byrd from Judge Judy —real name Petri Hawkins‑Byrd —is alive and still active in TV and public life, despite some fan rumors or confusion online.

Who Byrd is

  • He served as the courtroom bailiff on Judge Judy for all 25 seasons, from 1996 to 2021, becoming one of the most recognizable faces on courtroom TV.
  • Before TV, he was a real NYPD officer and had worked as a bailiff for Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin) in Manhattan family court, so their on‑screen partnership stemmed from a long professional relationship.

What happened after Judge Judy ended

  • When the original show wrapped in 2021, fans expected him to move to Judge Judy’s next series, Judy Justice , but he was not invited back for that program.
  • Reports indicate he felt blindsided, saying he only learned about Judy Justice while watching TV, and he believed he was effectively “priced out” of the new show due to salary and budget decisions.

His current TV work

  • Byrd later rejoined Judge Judy’s universe as bailiff on her newer courtroom series Tribunal Justice (a multi‑judge format show on Amazon Freevee), effectively reuniting him with Judy after a public split‑style gap.
  • This move suggests they’ve reconciled professionally, and he’s back in front of the camera handling cases in a different courtroom format.

Personal life updates

  • In March 2024, he made headlines by renewing his vows with his wife , Makita, after she fought and survived brain cancer; the moment was widely shared as a sweet, emotional comeback in his personal life.
  • Overall, Byrd has kept a relatively low social‑media profile at times, but recent articles describe him as “living his best life” with family, a solid career, and ongoing TV work.

If you’re seeing forum chatter like “Byrd died” or “Byrd disappeared,” that’s mostly speculation or outdated confusion—publicly, there is no report of him passing or retiring from public life.