Country music star Naomi Judd died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, Ashley Judd reveals

By: Reuters - Inquirer.net | May 15,2022 - 05:31 PM

Ashley Judd (R) and her mother Naomi Judd arrive at the premiere of the movie “Olympus Has Fallen” at the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, California, March 18, 2013. Image: Reuters/Patrick Fallon

Ashley Judd (R) and her mother Naomi Judd arrive at the premiere of the movie “Olympus Has Fallen” at the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, California, March 18, 2013. Image: Reuters/Patrick Fallon

Naomi Judd, matriarch of the country music duo the Judds, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound a day before being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, her family said on Thursday.

Judd, 76, suffered from mental illness, a disease that tells victims “you are not loved, you are not enough, that you are not worthy,” her daughter Ashley Judd said in an interview aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“Our mother couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. That was the level of disaster that was going on inside of her,” Ashley Judd, a 54-year-old actor, said.

“She used a weapon. Mother used a firearm,” she said of the death, which was announced on April 30.

Ashley Judd said she was disclosing the cause of death in a televised interview to maintain “control” over the information before it became public, possibly through leaks about Judd’s autopsy.

The family’s revelation followed news that the rate of United States gun deaths surged during the pandemic to the highest point since 1994. Gun suicides, the leading cause of gun deaths, totaled 24,245 in 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report published on Tuesday.

Naomi and her daughter Wynonna Judd, 57, made up The Judds, the singing, guitar-playing duo inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1.

It was Ashley Judd who found her mother’s body, just a few minutes after they had embraced during a visit at her mother’s Tennessee home. Ashley Judd said she stepped outside to meet a friend and when she came back inside she found her mother upstairs.

“I have both grief and trauma” from discovering the body, Ashley Judd said.

The family urged anyone having suicidal thoughts to reach out for help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (in the U.S.). JB

The Philippine Department of Health has said that every case of suicide is a tragedy that can be avoided. Thus, people who feel that they may be suffering from mental health problems and need help may call Hopeline hotlines:

  • 804-HOPE (4673)
  • 0917-558-HOPE (4673), or
  • 2919 (toll-free number for Globe and TM subscribers)

RELATED STORIES:

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Center for Mental Health hotline at 0917-899-USAP (8727); (02) 7-989-USAP; or 1553 (landline to landline, toll-free).

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

TAGS: mental illness

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.