Following the death of her mother, Wynonna Judd is opening up about her immense grief.
In her first television interview since Naomi Judd’s suicide, Wynonna spoke to “CBS Sunday Morning” about her experience.
“I got the call, and I went over, and I saw her and that was that. I said goodbye to her in the hospital, and I closed her eyes, and I kissed her forehead and that was that. And the next thing I know, I’m sitting here on the front porch, on the side porch … you know, and I’m just tryin’ to figure out what’s next,” Judd said on the show, set to air in full on Sunday.
Known as country duo the Judds, Wynonna and Naomi sold more than 20 million albums. But in April, their days together came to an end. Only a day before they were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi took her own life.
“I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it, because she had had episodes before and she got better,” Judd said. “And that’s what I live in, is like, ‘Was there anything I should have looked for or should I have known?’ I didn’t. That’s why it’s such a shock.”
Naomi, who had been open about battling with depression, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound April 30 at 76 years old.
“I feel her nudging me. And sometimes I laugh,” Judd added. “And sometimes I say, ‘I really miss you. Why aren’t you here so we can argue?’”
Naomi’s daughters — Wynonna and Ashley — honored her at the Country Music Hall of Fame Induction after her death, but they were shocked to discover they were left out of their mother’s will.
In August, reports claimed Wynonna planned to contest the will, which only named Naomi’s widower, Larry Strickland, as executor.
While Wynonna has avoided interviews until now, her sister, actress Ashley Judd, hasn’t stayed silent. She penned a New York Times essay detailing the horrifying moment of finding her mother and holding her “laboring body” in her arms. In another interview, Ashley appeared on “Healing With David Kessler,” saying she “understood” how much pain her mother must have been in.
Until the interview with CBS, set to air on Sept. 25, Wynonna has only paid homage to her late mother onstage or online, where she penned a heartfelt Instagram message in May.
“There is so much happening in the world right now. So before I sat down to write this, I thought, ‘No … I just don’t know what to say.’ Then, I heard the words from my life coach asking me, ‘What do you know?’ And I began to cry,” the 58-year-old wrote.
“WHAT DO I KNOW?? I DO know, that the pain of losing Mom on 4/30 to suicide is so great, that I often feel like I’m not ever going to be able to fully accept and surrender to the truth that she left the way she did. This cannot be how The Judds story ends,” she continued, adding that she feels “helpless” but vows to show up for her friends, family and herself despite her grief.
According to CBS, Wynonna plans on continuing with the Judds’ upcoming tour in remembrance of Naomi.
