Wynonna Judd Shares Final ‘Goodbye’ to Mom Naomi Judd and Why Her Death Was ‘Such a Shock’
This past April, the world unexpectedly lost Naomi Judd. The artist’s death stunned the country. And it came at an even bigger shock for her family, friends, and loved ones. Her daughter and collaborator in music Wynonna Judd shared more about her death, wishing a final “goodbye” to her late mom.
Wynonna Judd’s emotional final ‘goodbye’ to her mom, Naomi Judd
Grieving isn’t easy, and doing it in the spotlight seems even more challenging. When it comes to the Judd family, Wynonna Judd acknowledged everyone handles it differently.
Shortly after Naomi Judd’s death, her other daughter, Ashley Judd sat down with Good Morning America where she disclosed the sensitive details. The actor also read a letter that her sister, Wynonna Judd, wrote. In it, the singer shared she was “not ready yet to speak publicly about what happened.”
After taking a few months, Wynonna Judd finally sat down with CBS to speak about the sorrowful journey. She sadly recalled the moments following she received the life-changing phone call.
The star shared, “I got the call, and I went over, and I saw her and I said goodbye to her in the hospital, and I closed her eyes, and I kissed her forehead, and that was that. And next thing I know, I’m sitting here on the side porch, and I’m just trying to figure out what’s next.”
Wynonna Judd shared why Naomi Judd’s death was such a shock
Prior to her death Naomi Judd had been open with her fans about her depression. But the country singer’s family had a deeper understanding of what that often looked like.
Nevertheless, even for the people who supported and understood her the best, Naomi Judd’s death still came as a shock. As Wynonna put it, “I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it, because she had had episodes before and she got better.” The timing was even more surprising considering the following day the Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On top of that, just weeks before, the Judd women announced their upcoming reunion tour. With so much on the horizon, Naomi Judd’s suicide caught so many of her loved ones off guard.
The sad details behind Naomi Judd’s death
A desire to get ahead of any false narratives was part of the reason Ashley Judd discussed her mother’s death candidly. In the May interview, the actor shared harrowing details surrounding Naomi Judd’s death and how it took place.
The Berlin Station star revealed, “Mother used a firearm…That’s the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we’re in a position that — if we don’t say it, someone else is going to.”
Ashley Judd recounted the seemingly normal moments leading up to the tragedy. She shared that she went downstairs to speak with one of her mother’s friends who had just arrived. She made the startling discovery when she went back upstairs.
Amidst their grieving process, both of the Judd sisters have admitted to feeling anger and rage towards their mother. As for Wynonna Judd, she is set to carry on with the tour she planned to do with her late mother.
When thinking about the first night of the tour, Wynonna Judd said, “As I walk out on stage that first night, I’ll probably say something like, ‘It’s not supposed to be like this,’ because it’s not, right? It’s supposed to be the two of us. And I’m gonna be angry because she’s not there.”
