Tragedy brings families closer.
As the Judds prepare to share their four-part docuseries, The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, the family is sharing information about the loss of their mother, Naomi, and the impact her death had on their family dynamics. Ashley and Wynonna Judd, along with other friends and family, are ready to shine a light on what happened when the curtain fell, revealing that life as The Judds was not all glitz and glamour.
The Judds were one of the most successful country duos, signing with RCA Records in 1983. Naomi and Wynonna Judd released six records between 1984, kicking things off with their debut record, Wynonna & Naomi, and ending their career with Love Can Build a Bridge. The nation fell in love with the redheaded mother-daughter duo, and loved seeing Ashley, who is a successful actress on her own right, support them as they chased their dreams.
However, off the stage, the sisters were dealing with a lot, including their mother’s mental health. Naomi Judd took her own life in 2022, with the family sharing that she struggled with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, eventually losing the fight to her mental illness.
“We have always shared openly both the joys of being family as well its sorrows, too. One part of our story is that our matriarch was dogged by an unfair foe. She was treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder, to which millions of Americans can relate.”
Now the family is opening up about how the death of their matriarch brought them all closer together. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE Magazine, Naomi’s widower, Larry Strickland (79), said the tragedy brought Ashley and Wynonna closer.
“They were forced together. 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. Realizing that we lost a wife and mother, it forced us to be together, whether we wanted to or not.”
However, it was not just Ashley and Wynonna who grew closer, but it also drew the girls closer to their stepfather. Naomi married Larry Strickland in the spring of 1989, her second marriage, and she passed away six days before their 33rd wedding anniversary.
Strickland noted that he got closer to the girls after her death because it felt like the only piece of Naomi he had left.
“The fact that Naomi’s gone and Wynonna and Ashley are the main part of her that’s left, and it’s what’s still here for me to cling to and have in my life.”
Family is family, regardless of whether you’re blood-related, and it sounds like Strickland and the Judd girls have maintained that closeness, even with Naomi’s absence. I’m sure we’ll hear more about their family dynamics and how things have changed since her death in the docuseries, set to air over Mother’s Day weekend.
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, directed by Alexandra Dean, airs on Lifetime May 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
If you haven’t checked out the trailer yet, do so while you’re here. I feel like some bombs are going to be dropped during this series.
UDHËTO LIRË.
UDHËTO KOMOD.
Rezervo online shpejt, lehtë dhe pa stres.
