Ashley Judd is sharing a deeply emotional account of her final moments with her mother, the legendary singer Naomi Judd, in a new documentary airing on Lifetime.
In The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, which aired on May 10 and 11, Ashley revealed the touching and heartbreaking conversation she had with Naomi before her death in April 2022. Naomi, who passed away by suicide at 76, had struggled with mental health issues, including PTSD and bipolar disorder.
💬 “I’m Okay, Mom”
Ashley recalled receiving a text from Naomi on the morning of her death, saying, “pls help.” When she arrived at her mother’s house, Ashley found Naomi visibly distressed, pacing around and expressing her desire to not be alive anymore.
In the tender moments that followed, Ashley comforted her mom, telling her, “You don’t have to worry about me, Mom. I’m okay. I’m okay.”
“She really clocked that in a really deep way,” Ashley said. “One of the things she said was me.”
🕊️ Saying Goodbye
Naomi eventually went upstairs, and Ashley later went to check on her. When she found Naomi unresponsive in her bedroom, Ashley immediately held her mother and spoke to her.
“The first thing I said to her was, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve seen how much you’ve been suffering,'” Ashley recalled, remembering how they breathed together.
Ashley then shared that she reassured Naomi, expressing how much she loved her and that it was okay to let go.
“When she died, my most earnest wish was to make sure that she was relieved and absolved of her guilt and her shame.”
🌹 A Heartbreaking Loss
Ashley Judd reflected on the love and peace she felt during her final moments with Naomi.
“I was holding her hand. I was kissing her. She was so soft. She smelled so pretty,” Ashley said.
The heartbreaking moments were made even more poignant as Ashley wished for Naomi to be free from the weight of her struggles.
📰 Naomi’s Legacy
Naomi Judd’s death was confirmed to be by suicide through an autopsy, revealing she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a statement after Naomi’s death, the Judd family shared their grief and emphasized Naomi’s battle with mental health challenges.
“We have always shared openly both the joys of being family as well as its sorrows, too,” the family said. “She was treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder, to which millions of Americans can relate.”
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, directed by Alexandra Dean, aired on Lifetime on May 10 and 11, offering fans a look at the intimate and emotional moments Ashley shared with her late mother.
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