While the new book shines a light on the battle her mom faced, when she first learned about the project, her reaction was markedly different than her sister, Ashley’s.
Wynonna and Naomi Judd are known worldwide as two of the most successful country music artists – and one of the world’s best-selling country duos. These two really laid a lot of the groundwork for future female acts and they dominated the charts in their heyday, creating a legacy that will last forever.
The two have always had a very deep, but sometimes strained and turbulent relationship – a fact that was highlighted during their reality mini-series on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011.
In a very recent Good Morning America interview about her tell-all book, River of Time, Naomi Judd explained how her rocky relationship with Wynonna had somewhat resolved, but left them “still a little estranged”.
“I love her but there are just times we need a break from each other…And that happens with mother, daughters,” Naomi says of Wynonna. “If she sees this, and I hope she does, ’cause the smartest thing is for all of us to feel known, no matter what’s goin’ on. Be truthful. I think she’ll say, ‘Good for you, Mom, for finally being willing to talk about the bad stuff.'”
It wasn’t too long after she had begun penning this eye-opening and heartfelt memoir that detailed her longtime fight with depression and anxiety.
According to an interview with People Magazine, Naomi explained how she told her daughter Wynonna about the book and what Wynonna had to say about the project.
Naomi rang up Wynonna and asked her to lunch at a local restaurant near them where they could talk.
“It was just the two of us, and I said, ‘I have something to tell you’ and she got big tears in her eyes — she expected something dramatic. And I said, ‘I’m writing a book.'”
Wynonna then begged her mother not to publish the book, saying, “Don’t do it, mom! Don’t do it!”
“People will think you’re crazy and I know you’re not!” Naomi says recollecting that moment. “Wy was afraid for me, she was afraid it might make things worse.”
Her daughter was afraid because she knew the torture her mother had faced in the previous years battling a disease that affects more than 40 million people. She had battled with suicidal thoughts and endured debilitating panic attacks.
Even though Wynonna had pleaded with her to not publish the book, ultimately Naomi decided that detailing some of the darkest times in her life was a way for her to help others.
“My whole thing in life has been helping people,” She explained. “As Ashley told me, ‘You cannot hug the 40 million people that have depression. There’s not enough of you. But by writing the book, you’ve given them everything they need.’”
Watch Naomi’s incredible interview about her new book, River of Time in the video below.