NEWSNaomi Judd Once Shot a Gun at Husband Larry Strickland After Learning He Cheated on Her
Naomi Judd died in 2022.
May 11 2025, Published 11:32 a.m. ET
Naomi Judd and her widower husband, Larry Strickland, were married for 33 years before she died in 2022 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While they stayed together through sickness and health, the couple endured a great deal of marital strife.
In the family’s new docuseries, The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, Strickland confirmed his late wife once shot him after she found out he had cheated on her.
“Well, it really happened,” he said. “That’s all I can say. That’s all I'm gonna say. It happened.”
Naomi Judd Says She and Larry Strickland Were 'Wildly in Love'
The couple were 'wildly, madly, passionately in love.'
The story of how the famed country singer found out about Strickland’s affair was discussed in a voiceover of her 1993 memoir Love Can Build a Bridge. During this, Judd explained how she and her husband were “wildly, madly, passionately in love.”
However, Judd recalled Strickland being absent on many occasions, often anywhere else but their family home. Though it was likely her husband stepped out of their marriage during his travels, the artist held out hope — until the fateful day that would change it all.
Mistress Claims She 'Loved' and 'Missed' Larry Strickland
The coupled lived in Tennessee.
Judd explained in her voiceover how she was given a phone call during the 1980s from a woman who lived in the Northeast, claiming she “loved and missed” Strickland. At the time, the artist and her husband lived in their home in Nashville, Tenn.
Strickland, however, was unaware of the mysterious phone call until he returned home to find Judd tearing up photos and throwing his belongings into a garbage bag in their yard.
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Naomi Judd's memoir was adapted into a film.
The incident was depicted in the film adaptation of Judd’s memoir, where Kathleen York, who played Judd, shot Bruce Greenwood, who played Strickland, when she found out he had cheated on her.
During the new Lifetime docuseries, Strickland watched the haunting scene as a camera crew filmed him. Afterward, he reflected on the incident and confirmed it really did happen.
Naomi Judd Committed Suicide at the Age of 76
Naomi Judd committed suicide at 76 years old.
Judd and Strickland met in 1979 when his gospel group walked into the building where she was working as a secretary. The couple married ten years later in 1989. Over the years, the country artist suffered from various mental illness symptoms, including depression, anxiety and panic attacks, ultimately leading to her suicide at the age of 76.
Larry Strickland said he closely cared for his late wife for 13 years before her death.
In an interview from December 2022, just months after her death, Strickland opened up about what it was like caring for his wife during her times of need.
“For the past 13 years or more, I was with her 24/7,” he stated. “I never left the house without Naomi knowing where I was going and when I would be back. As far as taking care of myself, I’m not sure that fits my situation. When you have a mate that has a mental illness, you walk that path with them.”
