NEWSAshley Judd Admits The Public Is Interfering With Her Grieving Process After Mom Naomi's Tragic Death
Five months have passed since country singer Naomi Judd took her own life — yet her daughter Ashely Judd revealed she still hasn't been able to properly grieve the devastating loss.
On Wednesday, August 31, the actress released an essay to explain how hard it's been to deal with the tragedy while living in the spotlight.
"Today, I pour my soul into describing the four interviews I was given no choice in doing the day our beloved mother died, and why such material should remain private for all families in the devastation the follows suicide," the Emmy nominee, 54, wrote in a social media post that contained a link to her published work. "We need better law enforcement procedures and laws that would allow suffering families and their deceased loved one more dignity around agonizingly intimate details of their suffering. Autopsies are public record. So are toxicology reports."
"We have shared our story so openly, to raise awareness, reduce stigma, to help people identify, and make sure we all know we face mental illness together," concluded the Divergent star. "What more do folks want us to give of our grief?"
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In the essay, Ashley opened up about the night she found her mother, who died at age 76 via a self-inflicted gunshot wound after struggling with her mental health for years. "The trauma of discovering and then holding her laboring body haunts my nights," she revealed, adding that it was "the most shattering day of my life."
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The actress also disclosed that the singer was still alive when the authorities arrived, which made the situation even more stressful.
"I felt cornered and powerless as law enforcement officers began questioning me while the last of my mother’s life was fading," she recalled. "I wanted to be comforting her, telling her how she was about to see her daddy and younger brother as she 'went away home,' as we say in Appalachia."
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Aside from the details of Naomi's tragic death being publicized, her will was also revealed — something that's caused a ton of drama, as Ashley and her older sister, Wynonna, 58, weren't included in the paperwork. While Ashley has stayed mum on the matter, sources claimed Wynonna is trying to contest it in order to secure a chunk of change.
