As her mom, Naomi Judd, lay dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April 2022, Ashley Judd tried to give her comfort. The 55-year-old recently shared what she said to the country music legend as her life slipped away. “The first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Mama, I see how much you’ve been suffering and it’s OK … I am here, and it is OK to let go,” the actress revealed on the January 10 episode of “All There Is With Anderson Cooper,” adding that she was the first to find her mother, who had long battled mental illness. Becoming emotional, the actress added that she encouraged Naomi to go to the loved ones who had died before her, telling her, “All was forgiven long ago, leave it all here.”
Despite being traumatized by Naomi’s violent death, the actress and activist is determined not to let it define her mother. “I think we all deserve to be remembered for how we lived,” she told Anderson. “And how we died is simply part of a bigger story.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).