In the recently aired docuseries The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, Ashley Judd opens up about the painful final moments she shared with her mother, Naomi Judd, who tragically died by suicide in April 2022 at the age of 76. Ashley, now 57, detailed the emotional conversation she had with her mother on the morning of her passing, offering a raw and intimate look into the family’s final moments with Naomi.
The Final Conversation with Naomi
Ashley revealed that she received a text message from Naomi that morning, reading simply, “pls help.” Upon arriving at her mother’s home, Ashley found Naomi “uncomfortable in her body,” pacing the kitchen and expressing feelings of not wanting to live anymore. Despite the pain Naomi was experiencing, Ashley recalled that her mother later calmed down, and they shared a meaningful conversation.
Ashley said that Naomi’s reason for continuing to live was tied to Ashley herself. “One of the things she said was me, and I said, ‘You don’t have to worry about me, Mom. I’m okay. I’m okay.'” Naomi appeared to deeply absorb Ashley’s words, providing some comfort in her final hours.
A Devastating Discovery
After their conversation, Naomi went upstairs, and Ashley followed her, calling out for her mom. When she didn’t receive a response, Ashley entered Naomi’s bedroom, where she made the heartbreaking discovery that her mother had harmed herself.
Ashley spent the next half-hour holding Naomi’s hand, speaking to her softly, and trying to comfort her in her final moments. “The first thing I said to her was, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve seen how much you’ve been suffering.’ We just breathed together, and I talked to her and told her how much I loved her, and it’s okay to go,” Ashley recalled through tears.
A Moment of Love and Peace
In Naomi’s final moments, Ashley expressed that her main wish was to absolve her mother of any guilt or shame she may have felt. “When she died, my most earnest wish was to make sure that she was relieved and absolved of her guilt and her shame,” Ashley said. “I was holding her hand. I was kissing her. She was so soft. She smelled so pretty.”
Naomi Judd’s Struggles with Mental Health
An autopsy report released in August 2022 confirmed that Naomi died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Tennessee on April 30, 2022. The report highlighted Naomi’s long battle with mental health issues, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, which she had been openly treated for. The Judd family, in a statement to the Associated Press, shared that Naomi had faced “an unfair foe” in her mental health struggles, which millions of Americans can relate to.
Ashley and the Judd family have always been open about both the joys and sorrows they’ve faced together, and Ashley’s candid reflections in The Judd Family: Truth Be Told bring awareness to the deep emotional struggles Naomi endured.
Ashley Judd’s powerful reflections on her final moments with her mother offer a poignant and deeply personal look at the challenges Naomi Judd faced in her life. It also sheds light on the complicated relationship between mental health, shame, and love in the face of loss. As Ashley continues to grieve, her words remind viewers of the importance of empathy, understanding, and compassion, especially when dealing with the complexities of mental illness.
