Naomi Judd Detailed Her Struggles Before Death
Country music icon Naomi Judd died by suicide on April 30, 2022. She was 76 years old.
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Naomi struggled with her mental health throughout her life. She opened up about her struggles in her book, River of Time, and in various interviews.
She spoke about her depression in a 2017 interview with the TODAY Show, saying:
“That’s how bad it can get. It’s hard to describe. You go down in this deep, dark hole of depression and you don’t think that there’s another minute.“
Naomi passed away just one day before The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley, put up a united front at the ceremony.
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Ashley Judd Celebrates 1st Birthday Without Her Mother
Ashley celebrated her 55th birthday on Wednesday (April 19). It was a day of reflection for her, as it was her first birthday without her beloved mother.
In a message on social media, Ashley said:
“Everyone who loves me is making it as soft (cake in bed) and precious as they can, as my mind can’t help but calculate that on my last birthday Mom was a scant 11 days from her death by crushing suicide. So it is my first without her. I think of her constantly. I am looking at my baby announcement & sitting with her tender joy in sharing about me.”
Ashley described how affectionate her mother always was on her birthday, saying:
“I am recalling her annual rite of recounting to me the day of my birth, all the details that were so precious to her. During my birthday at some point she would glow, patting my arm, “you were brown when you came out, surprised me so, and the sweetest, easiest baby….how I loved you, I had to swat peoples hands, they wanted to touch you,” and patter on about my baby stories.”
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As she continued, Ashley reflected on what her last birthday with Naomi was like. She said:
“Last year’s, as you might imagine, was more muted, being so close to her end. Pop and she came over with a roast chicken and cornbread, and we shared a small meal, the 3 of us. Mom laid down a lot. We had cake and in spite of being weak and preoccupied with the disease that was eating at her, she had a gorgeous card for me and I knew, as ever, how much she loved me. I know that today, too, even as she breathes in the infinite mercy of God.“
Ashley ended her post by thanking Naomi for always celebrating her and letting her know how much she was loved.
“What more does a birthday girl need, than memories of a mother like that?” she said.
Ashley shared two pictures in the post. The first shows her birth announcement, and the second shows her with cake in bed. See those pictures and read Ashley’s full post below.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.