After more than 13 years on the show, Judge Lynn Toler has announced that she will be moving on from Divorce Court — and Faith Jenkins has already been named as her successor.
Jenkins will replace Toler on the syndicated daytime program starting July.
“We are confident that Judge Faith’s energy and passion for each case will build on the legacy of this program created by the exceptional talents of Judge Mablean and Judge Lynn Toler,” Stephen Brown, executive vice president of programming for Fox Television Stations, said in a statement.
Toler’s charismatic, witty demeanor made the daytime judge show a popular staple. Toler took over from Mablean Ephriam, who headed the show between 1999 to 2006.
“I started watching ‘Divorce Court’ in law school, so to be now joining the show is quite surreal. My legal expertise combined with my personal life experience – including years of dating in the world of social media and technology – provides me a unique perspective that will inform my empathy and judgment for many of the issues couples raise on the show,” Jenkins added.
Toler posted a video to her Instagram account, confirming the news.
“I couldn’t wait any longer because the news is coming out, and I wanted you to hear it from me. I’ve left Divorce Court, we parted ways. I had 13 great years,” she said in the below video. “It was time to move on.”
She urged her supporters to give Jenkins a chance, “I remember when I took over for Judge Mablean [Ephriam],” she recounted. “There was a lot of consternation, and people got cranky because people don’t like new things. But I’m saying give her a chance because she’s really good at what she does. She’s going to be different, she’s going to be good,” said Toler.
Fans of Toler can still see her put her superhuman marriage-saving abilities to work on WEtv’s Marriage Boot Camp.
