Singer Naomi Judd, part of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd passed away on April 30 at the age of 76.
Her daughters announced her death in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland, released a statement that read, “Naomi Judd’s family request privacy during this heartbreaking time. No additional information will be released at this time.”
Almost a month after her death, Wynonna revealed that she is still having a hard time coping with the loss of her mother, who took her own life.
Wynonna Judd Is ‘Checking In’ With Her Followers After Heartbreaking Loss Of Naomi Judd
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On Sunday morning, Wynonna posted a touching tribute to her Instagram account.
“Checking in,” she began the lengthy post. “There is so much happening in the world right now,” she added, seemingly referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the battle for gun control after 19 children and 2 adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Texas.
“So before I sat down to write this, I thought, ‘No…I just don’t know what to say.’ Then, I heard the words from my life coach asking me, ‘What do you know?’ And I began to cry,” she added.
“WHAT DO I KNOW??” she asked. “I DO know, that the pain of losing Mom on 4/30 to suicide is so great, that I often feel like I’m not ever going to be able to fully accept and surrender to the truth that she left the way she did. This cannot be how The Judds story ends.💔”
“I DO know, that in order to be a healthier grandparent to my firstborn grandchild Kaliyah, {born 4/13, 2 weeks & 2 days before Mom left}, to break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction, that I must continue to show up for myself {first} and do the personal healing work,” she continued.
“I know that it is a simple steps program, and those steps are not easy to take at times. Therefore, I’ve made a commitment to keep doing the ‘next right thing,’ and schedule weekly appointments so that I continue with the ongoing work, even when I have good days.”
Wynonna Judd Reveals That She Feels ‘So Helpless’
“I DO know, that I feel so helpless—right now especially,” she went on. “I DO know, that as corny as it sounds, ‘Love Can Build A Bridge.’ I find myself humming the song that Mom wrote for the fans, to myself here on the farm at night.”
“I really DO know, that I’m not able to do this grieving thing all by myself, and that it’s okay to reach out for help,” she added. “I will continue to fight for my faith, for my SELF, for my family, and I WILL continue to show up & sing.”
“Thank you all for your love and support,” she concluded. “Let’s check in more often. 🎶💜🎶”
Many fans continued to offer support and words of condolences in the comments of her post.
“You are so beautifully strong!” one fan wrote. “You’re an inspiration. Keep on keeping on!!!!”
“Sending love, prayers, and positive thoughts to you,” another fan commented.
“Prayers Blessings and strength to help ease the pain. Even just a little is a lot,” another shared. “God loves you ❤️ Love Can build a bridge – and time helps 🙏”
“This is a beautiful and meaningful post,” another wrote. “Thank you for sharing it this Sunday ❤️”
This is an even more difficult time for Wynonna than some might realize. On Monday, May 30, Wynonna will be turning 58 years old and celebrating her first birthday without her mother there.
Her younger sister, Ashley Judd, turned 54 years old on April 19, a little more than a week before her mother took her own life.
