In-depth Q&A with Mathis Family Matter star Judge Mathis
Judge Greg Mathis Media Q&A
Judge Mathis may be famous for laying down the law on TV, but as he puts it, “When the robe comes off, I’m just another sucka.” Now he aims to prove it, as the new docu-series Mathis Family Matters follows the Judge and his wife Linda, along with their four children – Jade, Camara, Greg, and Amir – as they navigate life in Hollywood. Full of fun, big laughs, and family love, dive into the careers, relationships, personalities, and off-the-wall dynamics of the Mathis family – on E!.
Q: What can viewers expect in this new show?
Judge Mathis: Throughout the series, you’ll find a family of black professionals who face obstacles daily and strive to uplift their communities. It was important to show our obstacles as individuals. We want folks to know that no matter how high you go, or how low you go, you can come up and succeed, and you will have the same issues. Our family deals with challenges such as the attacks against my son regarding the LGBTQIA+ community, my other son had a learning disorder, my own struggles with ADD ( Attention Deficit Disorder), and mental health challenges. On the other hand, you will also see that Judge Mathis, who has so much authority in the office, is the complete opposite at home. I receive the orders, I get no decision-making power, and I get clowned on. I think the viewers are going to find that interesting.
Q: When you started your career in the legal sector, did you imagine the possibility of balancing entertainment and legal, as you are?
Judge Mathis: I grew up in an impoverished neighbourhood and sought to empower oppressed communities. In 1982, during my second year of college, I was sparked and motivated by the oppression in South Africa, so I began to fight against apartheid in the USA. Subsequently, I started in politics, working for Reverend Jesse Jackson for many years. I am now the Chairman of the Board for his organisation. I worked in South Africa and met Nelson Mandela, one of the most cherished moments of my life. Later, I became involved in social justice, fighting for equality, and represented youth as a criminal and constitutional lawyer. This was when I saw that I could make a difference as a decision-maker behind the bench. Hollywood likes a success story, so after a few years, I left because Hollywood came calling and wanted to chronicle my journey. My motivation for coming to television was to show my journey and to entertain.
Q: What are some of the challenges that you face?
Judge Mathis: Getting through to people living a life of self-destruction or poverty, where there are alternatives or solutions, is the most challenging part. Another challenge is that some street guys do not accept my journey. They are not inspired and are instead critical. That bothers me because one of the objectives in life for me is to encourage those who are stuck in a life of crime or poverty.
How do you aim to inspire people through your new show?
As part of our family’s community service efforts, viewers can expect to see our family helping other people overcome challenges. We have the Mathis Community Centre in Detroit, which we founded and operate. At this centre, we invite ex-offenders and encourage them. I seek to be a leader in my community, so I can change lives and uplift others out of poverty.
Q: What was your wife and children’s reaction to the offer to do Mathis Family Matters?
Judge Mathis: All of us turned it down. It came from our youngest, Amir. None of us were anxious to do it. We’re all on our own career path. We didn’t want to go into it because we didn’t want to go into our private lives. And, we didn’t think it would happen. There are 10,000 shows pitched a year, with only 50 new ones getting the green light so I didn’t expect it to happen. We were surprised by the callback, but now that the show has started, our fears of privacy invasion have diminished. The impact it has had on society has been greater than I imagined. It was important to show the obstacles we face and how we overcome and support each other.
Q: Are there certain things in the show that are off-limits?
Judge Mathis: No, but viewers will see that we are a family that does not fight. We advise, challenge, and support each other. There won’t be high-level arguing, instead, you will see disagreements, discussions, and even clowning about each other’s situations or obstacles. Fighting and high-level arguing is out the door.
Q: Your other show, Judge Mathis, has seen significant success. Are the court matters you handle authentic, or are they crafted in a scripted manner given that it is a reality show?
Judge Mathis: Everything is real on our show. We get our cases from small claim courts around the country. We send a team out to look at the cases. Those with some entertainment value contact the litigants and ask if they would like to have their case removed from the local court and brought to us. I serve as a Judicial Arbitrator on television. We pay for their travel and accommodation. Our producer briefs them on how to lay out the facts on filming day, not what content to put in their case. There are some instances where people call our show asking to bring their claim to us, before taking it to a local court. The people are real, the cases are real, and the judge is real.