Wynonna Judd Reflects on Death of Naomi Judd: ‘This Cannot Be How the Judds Story Ends’

Country music legend Wynonna Judd is opening up about the loss of her mother Naomi Judd, who died in late April due to suicide.

“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,” Wynonna Judd wrote in a post shared on her Instagram account Sunday night.

“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,” Wynonna Judd continued.

Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd confirmed on April 30 that they had lost their mother Naomi Judd “to the disease of mental illness.” It was later confirmed Naomi Judd’s death was due to suicide.

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As Wynonna Judd continued in her Sunday Instagram post, she said she will continue to “show up” for herself and do the work she needs to to get through the tragedy of losing her mom, who was also her bandmate in The Judds.

“I DO know, that in order to be a healthier grandparent to my firstborn grandchild Kaliyah, {born 4/13, 2 weeks & 2 days before Mom left}, to break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction, that I must continue to show up for myself {first} and do the personal healing work,” she wrote. “I know that it is a simple steps program, and those steps are not easy to take at times. Therefore, I’ve made a commitment to keep doing the ‘next right thing,’ and schedule weekly appointments so that I continue with the ongoing work, even when I have good days.”

Wynonna Judd added that she feels “so helpless — right now especially,” but she knows that reaching out is important.

“I really DO know, that I’m not able to do this grieving thing all by myself, and that it’s okay to reach out for help. I will continue to fight for my faith, for my SELF, for my family, and I WILL continue to show up & sing,” she continued.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is a free, 24/7 confidential service that can provide people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, or those around them, with support, information and local resources.