Ashley Judd Revealed the Day Naomi Judd Died Was ‘the Most Shattering’ of Her Life
Actor and activist Ashley Judd opened up about her mother’s death, revealing the day Naomi Judd died was “the most shattering of her life.” She shared that her hope for her mother’s transition after her death was that it freed her from guilt. But she also disclosed that the trauma of finding and holding her “laboring body” has stayed with her.
Keep reading to learn what change Ashley hopes might come from her famous family’s “shattering” tragedy.
Ashley Judd’s relationship with Naomi Judd
As part of The Judds, Naomi often traveled the country with her older daughter Wynonna Judd in Ashley’s childhood. And Ashley later revealed that being left out of the country music duo’s plans meant she was usually left behind.
She disclosed their home life was not conventionally functional but emphasized it was full of love. “First of all, my mother loves and adores me and my dad absolutely loves and adores me; they did then, and they do now,” she told Meredith Vieira on TODAY in 2011.
“We came from a dysfunctional family system that didn’t work very well. So the kinds of things that happened to me are very typical and standard and indicative of a family system that doesn’t work very well,” Ashley explained.
She also added, “… Everyone in my family has their own perspective and their own experiences.”
Notably, after Naomi died, Ashley said she hoped her mother was free of guilt during her transition.
Ashley Judd held Naomi Judd before she died
After Naomi’s death at 76, Ashley revealed in a candid interview that she had been home with her mother and discovered her. She’s opened up about that more in the months after Naomi’s suicide, disclosing that it “haunts” her.
“The trauma of discovering and then holding her laboring body haunts my nights,” she wrote in The New York Times (per PEOPLE), adding that it was “the most shattering day of [her] life.”
Before her death, Naomi shared that she had experienced decades of depression and suicidal ideations. She spoke about it in length in her memoir, River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope.
Ashley said it was a “long battle” that eventually became too much. “I could not help her,” she shared. “I can, however, do something about how she is remembered.”
After Naomi Judd died, Ashley Judd called for change
Ashley revealed in her NYT op-ed that she’s calling for changes in law enforcement procedures, specifically in handling sensitive information.
She declared, “… Now that I know from bitter experience the pain inflicted on families that have had a loved one die by suicide, I intend to make the subsequent invasion of privacy — the deceased person’s privacy and the family’s privacy — a personal as well as a legal cause.”
After the family moved to have records relating to Naomi’s death sealed, Ashley said she hopes law enforcement agencies will re-evaluate some of the procedures and laws that guide officers who respond to suicides and other sensitive scenes.
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.
