Update: Wynonna Judd is also opening up and addressing the rumors that she and her sister, actress Ashley Judd are feuding over their mother’s estate. In the same interview with People, Wynonna got honest about her relationship with her sister and what it has been like since the passing of their beloved mom, Naomi Judd.
Following rumors that Wynonna and Ashley are fighting over the will their mom left behind, the country music star is getting real. In fact, the singer admitted she learned of the rumors while sitting at Ashley’s house.
“Someone told me while I was at Ashley’s house, ‘Hey, did you know that they’re saying this about you?’ I went, ‘Huh? I’m fighting with Ashley? Oh. Again?'” Wynonna recalls. “Fighting over what? I have such a great life. Ashley has a great life. Why would we be fighting over the will?”
Currently, Naomi’s beloved husband, Larry Strickland, is the executor of his wife’s will. As Wynonna revealed, when Strickland passes on, she and Ashley will split the state 50-50. Wynonna promised that she has no plans to contest the perfect split.
“I am the last person in this family — and if Ashley was here, I’d hope she’d agree with me — who knows stuff like this. I’m not savvy enough to go, ‘I’m going to contest the will.’ It never occurred to me.”
In fact, Wynonna continued and reiterated what Ashley once said in a previous interview, that their mother’s tragic passing has only brought them closer together.
“I feel like we’re connected in a way that is so different because I’m an orphan,” she says. “Both my parents are gone, and I’m relying on Ashley. She’s relying on me in a different way that’s about compassion. It’s not about being successful and smart and capable. It’s about, ‘I love you.’ ‘I love you, too.’ We’re vulnerable with each other, and we’re tender.”
“As sisters, we disagree on so much,” she adds. “But when it comes to our mother, we both look at each other and go, ‘She was quite the character.'”
When Naomi Judd committed suicide on April 30, 2022, it left her family – including Wynonna Judd – in shambles, as it would any family. It was a shocking news development at the time and a sudden tragedy for the entertainment community – one many people have yet to fully accept.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Wynonna opened up about her late mother’s death. She spoke of her confusion, devastation, and grief, which continue to follow her to this day. “I can’t quite wrap my head around it and I don’t know that I ever will. That she left the way she did,” she said.
She remembers how determined Naomi Judd was with everything she did – never giving up on herself or her family. “With the same determination she had to live, she was determined to die. It’s so hard to comprehend how someone can be so strong and yet so vulnerable,” she added.
RELATED: Naomi Judd’s Husband Reveals Why He Was ‘Scared to Death’ Days Before Her Passing
Nearly 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue every year and 1 in 20 adults experience a serious mental health issue. Not only that, but roughly half of all suicide victims had been diagnosed with a mental health issue in the past. It’s a problem that isn’t getting any better.
“There is not one person on this planet that is not susceptible to some form of depression,” said Wynonna Judd. “The ones who need or want help, some will ask for it and some won’t.” And she’s right, with nearly half of all patients with a mental health issue failing to receive treatment.
At the time of Naomi’s death, Wynonna Judd was on tour with her husband, Cactus Moser. She noted one of her regrets being how busy she was, adding, “[Naomi] often talked about how lonesome it is in that house without us.” It’s a steady reminder to call your loved ones while you still can.
The singer last saw her mother on April 11, just a few weeks before Naomi decided to take her own life. They performed together at the CMT Awards, which was a beautiful moment for the mother-daughter duo. “The last thing I said to her was ‘I love you,’ and I’m so grateful for that.”
Wynonna Judd Honors Her Late Mother; Continues ‘The Judds: The Final Tour’
In coping with the loss of her mother, Wynonna Judd decided to continue a tour she originally planned to do with her mother – called The Judds: The Final Tour. While she could’ve canceled the tour, she thought it would be the perfect tribute for her late mother – and so many others agree!
To show their support for the Judd family, several other artists are joining her on tour and performing in tribute to Naomi Judd – including Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Trisha Yearwood, and more. The tour is already underway and it’s already a smash hit!
The tour began on September 30th in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is scheduled to stop in 10 more cities over the next month – including Toledo, Sioux Falls, Green Bay, Duluth, Huntsville, Durant, Ft. Worth, Biloxi, Nashville, and the final stop in Lexington on October 29, 2022.
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If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you might want to hurry – who knows how much longer they’ll be available! And, as always, don’t hesitate to contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) if you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health.