Warning: The following post contains discussions of suicide.
It’s been three years since Naomi Judd died by suicide at the age of 76, leaving behind her two famous daughters, Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd. The sisters have had a complicated relationship over the years and were once estranged, but that is no longer the case following the death of their mother.
Naomi’s widower, Larry Strickland, told People that the women grew closer after losing their mom. “They were forced together,” he explained. “We all had to come together around this trauma, this tragic event. And it, of course, opened our eyes about how short life can be and how fleeting.”
Wynonna previously told Entertainment Tonight in 2023 that she and Ashley had “one of the most difficult conversations” they’d ever had after Naomi’s death. “We got through it. And nobody was hurt,” she said. “And I thought it’s a remarkable thing to have someone in your life that you’re so different from but that you can meet somewhere in the middle about. That’s what peace talk is, and that’s what we’re doing, and it works. When you work it and you’re worth it.”
Strickland was appointed the executor of Naomi’s estate before her death. Once he dies, Wynonna and Ashley will split the estate, which previously sparked rumors that the sisters were feuding. However, Wynonna told People in 2024 that this speculation is untrue and confirmed that she’s more connected to her younger sister than ever.
“Both my parents are gone, and I’m relying on Ashley,” she said. “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.”
She added, “As sisters, we disagree on so much, but when it comes to our mother, we both look at each other and go, ‘She was quite the character.’”
The sisters sought help from a life coach when repairing their relationship. “Ashley and I are very different people, and we are learning that we have more in common than we don’t,” Wynonna shared. “That’s really interesting, because when you’re younger, you think there’s more disconnect. We had a really deep conversation the other day, and we got through it and nobody got hurt.”
She also called her relationship with Ashley the “most powerful” one that exists in her life.
The sisters’ past struggles stemmed from the success Wynonna began experiencing while Ashley was in her early teen years. Wynonna and Naomi formed The Judds in the early ’80s and were not there for most of Ashley’s formative years.
In a 2015 interview, Wynonna admitted, “The only thing I have in common with my sister is a father missing a mother that’s both of ours. She and I are very different.” At the time, the two did not communicate or spend time together.
“That’s a long history of being apart,” Wynonna explained. “I was away from Ashley at age 18, she was 14. And I think at 14, Ashley became independent of the family, I think out of necessity. Kids are going to do what they have to do to have their needs met. I raised Ashley, so I think there’s a lot of work we still have to do about, ‘Where do we find the sister in all of this?’ She called me ‘sister mommy,’ and I have a really hard time with that. I don’t want to be your mommy. I want to be your sister.”
Wynonna and Ashley will explore their family’s complicated relationship in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries The Judd Family: Truth Be Told.
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, May 10 and 11, 8/7c, Lifetime
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
