Mablean Ephriam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mablean Ephriam
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Ephriam in November 2019
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| Born | April 23, 1949 Hazlehurst, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Education | Pitzer College Whittier College School of Law |
| Occupation | Former prosecuting attorney |
| Children | 3 including Tajamika Paxton |
Mablean Deloris Ephriam (born April 23, 1949) is an American television personality and a former lawyer. She is best known as the judge on the TV show Divorce Court for seven seasons, from 1999 to 2006. She also played a judge in Tyler Perry's Madea films.
In 2014, Ephriam returned to television with a new courtroom series called Justice with Judge Mablean. This show is produced by Entertainment Studios and can be seen on the Justice Central cable channel. Her daughter, Tajamika Paxton, is a writer, director, and producer.
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Her Journey in Law
Mablean Ephriam was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. When she was six years old, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she grew up.
Before becoming a TV judge, she had a lot of experience in law. She started her career as a corrections officer, working in the women's division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Ephriam earned a four-year scholarship to Pitzer College. Later, she went to night classes at Whittier Law School, where she earned her law degree in 1978.
In 1982, she opened her own law office. She mostly handled cases about personal injuries and family law. Soon after, she became a prosecuting attorney for Los Angeles County. This meant she worked for the government to bring legal cases against people accused of crimes.
Becoming a TV Judge
On Divorce Court
In 1999, the TV show Divorce Court was brought back for a new season, and Mablean Ephriam was chosen to be the judge. She was the first judge for the reality-based version of Divorce Court. Before this, the show used actors to re-create real divorce cases. She was also the first African American woman to be a judge on the series.
Judge Ephriam was known for her humor while on Divorce Court. Her audience often laughed at her unique voice and her surprised reactions to the funny or strange things people said.
Her famous saying on Divorce Court was "Look deep before you leap." This meant she advised couples to think carefully about each other's actions and attitudes before deciding to get married. She encouraged people to talk about their problems to understand why their marriages were ending. However, she always made sure her courtroom stayed orderly and would scold people for being disrespectful.
In 2006, it was announced that Judge Ephriam would leave Divorce Court. This was after seven seasons. She and the show's producers could not agree on a new contract. She was replaced by Judge Lynn Toler.
Judge in Madea Movies
Mablean Ephriam also played a strict judge in Tyler Perry's popular Madea films. In these movies, her character oversees many cases where Madea gets into trouble. The judge never sends Madea to prison. Instead, she gives out other punishments, like house arrest or going to therapy sessions.
Ephriam appeared in the film Diary of a Mad Black Woman. She also played the same judge in Madea's Family Reunion and Madea Goes to Jail.
Justice with Judge Mablean
In the fall of 2014, Judge Ephriam returned to television with a new courtroom series. The show is called Justice with Judge Mablean. It is produced by Entertainment Studios and airs on the Justice Central network. Episodes for the show are filmed in Culver City, California.
Helping Others and Other Projects
Mablean Ephriam hosts an annual event on Father's Day called The H.U.F. Awards. H.U.F. stands for "Honoring Unsung Fathers." At this event, she celebrates fathers who might not always get recognition. She also gives out scholarships to help young people go to college. She has said that it brings her great joy to help fathers feel appreciated and to support students in reaching their dreams.
Ephriam also appeared on the first season of Celebrity Fit Club. On the show, she worked to lose weight and successfully lost 25 pounds. She has shared that she has kept the weight off since then.
