Ashley Judd is revealing the emotional moments leading up to her mother Naomi Judd‘s death in 2022.
In a newly released two-part Lifetime documentary “The Judd Family: Truth Be Told,” Ashley walks through her last day with her mother before she committed suicide.
According to Ashley, now 57, she got a text from mom Naomi the morning of her death. It read only “pls help.” Ashley, sister Wynonna and Naomi all live in close proximity to each other on the same piece of land in Tennessee near Nashville.
When Ashley arrived at Naomi’s home, she says her mom was “uncomfortable in her body,” pacing around the kitchen and saying she “didn’t want to be here anymore.”
Ashley said Naomi eventually calmed down and told Ashley she was one of the reasons why she “continued to live” in spite of her mental health struggles.
“I said, ‘You don’t have to worry about me, Mom. I’m okay. I’m okay.’ And she really clocked that in a really deep way,” Ashley said in the docuseries.
Ashley Judd Told Naomi Judd ‘It’s Ok to Go’
According to Ashley in the docuseries, Naomi then headed upstairs. After some time passed, Ashley headed upstairs to look for Naomi, calling out to her. But she didn’t respond.
That’s when Ashley found Naomi in her bedroom. “I saw that she had harmed herself,” said Ashley.
The actress spent the next half-hour holding her mother and talking to her. “The first thing I said to her was, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve seen how much you’ve been suffering.’ And 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.
“When she died, my most earnest wish was to make sure that she was relieved and absolved of her guilt and her shame. I was holding her hand. I was kissing her. She was so soft. She smelled so pretty,” she said in the documentary.
Ashley Judd Unveils Poem to Her Mother on Mother’s Day
Ashley Judd posted a poem about her mother on Mother’s Day.
In the Instagram video, Ashley says the poem is called “Barefoot Pilgrims, A Mother-Daughter Story.”
In the caption, she writes, “Barefoot Pilgrims. A Mother Daughter Story. (Original Poem)
In the gap between my mom’s passing and Mother’s Day, a poem formed inside of me. It was inspired by my teacher reading one he wrote for his parnter of 50 years. “Her love wasn’t necessarily perfect. Her love was pure.” That struck me. In my life, I want to walk what is true, being less concerned with what is “right,” recognizing deep inside my mother’s love for me — it was pure.
Choosing the path of recovery, accepting the help, wisdom, and transformation of many healing arts, has gifted me this way of life. Thank you to all of my teachers and Fellow Travelers for making my open, feeling heart possible.”
Naomi’s widower and Ashley’s stepfather Larry Strickland commented on the post, saying, “Dear Ashley, this is so beautiful. Thank you for posting. Your timing is perfect. She loved you so much and was so proud of you.
Pop”
Judd is often tearful throughout the ten-minute long video.
In another post on Instagram, the actress reveals that she threw herself a kids birthday party for her 57th birthday April 19th. The party featured kickball, sack races, leap frog and other kids’ games.
How to Watch ‘The Judd Family: Truth Be Told”
“The Judd Family: Truth Be Told” two part docuseries is streaming now on Lifetime.
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Ashley Judd Reveals Last Conversation Minutes Before Mom’s Death