One month after the death of Naomi Judd, daughter Wynonna Judd is opening up about her struggle with grief.
The country singer who was set to go on tour with her mother took the time to check in with fans admitting at first she didn’t know what to say before reflecting on what she did know.
“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.”
“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,” Wynonna wrote on Instagram.
“This cannot be how The Judds story ends.”
Naomi, 76, died by suicide on April 30, one day before she was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ashley Judd made the heartbreaking announcement on social media, saying she and her sister Wynonna “lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness.”
Despite their recent loss, both sisters insisted The Judds – Naomi and Wynonna – be inducted into the hall of fame. Both gave a tearful speech while accepting the honor.
In the days following Naomi’s death, Ashley sat down with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer and gave more details about her mother’s death. She also discussed her own mental health and how she was dealing with her mother’s sudden death.
“‘I wish I could’ve, why didn’t I,’ the ‘if only,’ that is the bargaining stage of grief, and, for me, it is my least favorite stage of grief because it is such a mind game,” she said.
While Wynonna didn’t participate in the interview, she sent along a letter stating she still needed to “take some time to process” and “need this time to myself.”
However, a month after her mother’s death, Wynonna was ready to break her silence and share her struggle with grief.
The country singer said that while she was still uncertain how to feel about some things, she did know she needed to stay healthy for “my firstborn grandchild Kaliyah, {born 4/13, 2 weeks & 2 days before Mom left}, to break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction.”
And in order to do that she would need to show up for herself and “do the personal healing work.”
“I DO know, that I feel so helpless—right now especially.”
She also added that she’s found comfort in The Judd’s 1990 hit, “Love Can Build a Bridge,” which the mother-daughter duo performed onstage earlier this year.
And most importantly Wynonna said she realized: “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.”
Losing a loved one is never easy, especially a parent. My heart goes out to Ashley and Wynonna Judd.
Please join me in saying a prayer for them and sending condolences to those grieving the loss of Naomi Judd.
