Wynonna Judd Revealed She and Sister Ashley Judd ‘Don’t Agree on Much’ but They Are Closer Than Ever
After Naomi Judd’s death, her daughters, country music icon Wynonna Judd and actor and activist Ashley Judd, have grown closer despite their differences, Wynonna said.
Though they “don’t agree on much,” they agree that the tragedy of losing their mother put them in the often unique situation of being able to recognize what truly matters. And Wynonna revealed it led her to embrace “forgiveness” and ultimately helped strengthen their bond.
Wynonna Judd swatted off rumors she was fighting with Ashley Judd about Naomi Judd’s estate
In April 2022, Naomi Judd died by suicide at 76, leaving her daughters reeling in grief. Despite the shock and trauma that Ashley told the world the family faced, rumors emerged that the Judd sisters were butting heads over their mother’s estate.
Wynonna recalled hearing about those stories (per People). “Someone told me while I was at Ashley’s house,” she shared. “‘Hey, did you know that they’re saying this about you?’ I went, ‘Huh? I’m fighting with Ashley? Oh. Again?'”
“Fighting over what? I have such a great life,” she added. “Ashley has a great life. Why would we be fighting over the will?”
Wynonna offered that she not only does not need to contest the will but also wouldn’t know how. “I am the last person in this family — and if Ashley was here, I’d hope she’d agree with me — who knows stuff like this,” she said. “I’m not savvy enough to go, ‘I’m going to contest the will.’ It never occurred to me.”
Wynonna Judd said she and Ashley Judd love and support each other, and agree to disagree
Wynonna opened up on Today with Hoda and Jenna about life since losing her mother. And they asked about her relationship with Ashley.
“Well, when I became an orphan, I took a strong look around me and said, ‘Okay, forgiveness. Forgiveness is key,'” she explained. “Ashley and I are closer than we’ve been in a long time. So, get off our backs, press!”
“We love each other and we show up for each other. We don’t agree on much but we support one another and we agree to disagree,” she explained.
Wynonna Judd didn’t know Ashley Judd was her half-sister until they were adults
Like their mother was, Wynonna and Ashley have both been candid about the ups and downs of their upbringings. And a big part of their collective story is that Naomi became pregnant with Wynonna as a teenager and her boyfriend abandoned her. At a tender age, she decided to marry and raise the baby with someone else.
So, her husband became Ashley’s father but was not Wynonna’s, and Naomi kept that secret from her family until her daughters were adults. Wynonna told Andy Cohen on his Radio Andy show that she didn’t learn until 1994 that Ashley’s father wasn’t her dad. She was 30 years old when she found out “this man who was [her] biological father is not.”
Though that also meant Ashley was her half-sister, it didn’t change their relationship, which both have confessed was turbulent at times. But Wynonna shared that the tragedy of Naomi’s death bonded them in a new way.
“Both my parents are gone, and I’m relying on Ashley,” Wynonna told People. “She’s relying on me in a different way that’s about compassion. It’s not about being successful and smart and capable. It’s about, ‘I love you.’ ‘I love you, too.’ We’re vulnerable with each other, and we’re tender.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.
