The late country music singer Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna Judd formed the band The Judds and gained recognition after they released their 1984 debut album Why Not Me, which produced chart-toppers like “Mama He’s Crazy” and the album’s title track. The duo continued as a band until Naomi was diagnosed with hepatitis in 1991, and Wyonna had to pursue a solo career; however, they still occasionally toured together.
Despite Naomi’s successful career, she battled profound mental challenges, culminating in her tragic death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 30, 2022, at the age of 76. Recently, Naomi’s second daughter, Ashley Judd, candidly shared insights into her late mother’s final moments after her severe mental health struggles.
Ashley Judd says she comforted her mother in her final moment
at the “Olympus Has Fallen” Los Angeles Premiere, Arclight, Hollywood, CA 03-18-13
During a discussion on Anderson Cooper’s podcast All There Is, Ashley reflected on the moment she saw her late mom lying in her pool of blood after she shot herself. The 55-year-old stated that instead of expressing shock, she comforted her mother as it marked the end of her struggles. “I’m so glad I was there; the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Mama, I see how much you’ve been suffering and it is OK,” Judd admitted to Cooper. “It is OK to go. I am here. It is OK to let go. I love you. Go see your daddy. Go see Papa Judd. Go be with your people.'”
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While responding to the host’s question about whether her late mom heard her, Ashley answered in the affirmative. “Oh, she heard me,” she added. “And I just got into bed and held her and talked to her and said, ‘Let it all go, be free, all is forgiven long ago. All is forgiven long ago. Leave it all here, take nothing with you, just be free.'”
Naomi’s death was traumatic
Ashley also talked about the emotional toll her mother’s death took on her, particularly due to the circumstances surrounding her passing. “My mother’s death was traumatic and unexpected because it was death by suicide,” she told Cooper. “My grief was in lockstep with trauma, because of the manner of her death.”
Despite the sad event, Ashley is thankful that she was with her mother while she took her last breath. “I think we all deserve to be remembered for how we lived,” she said. “And how we died is simply part of a bigger story.”