It’s been five months since country music legend Naomi Judd tragically and shockingly committed suicide at the age of 76, but the world is still mourns for her. Now, her daughter Wynonna is speaking out to admit that she is “incredibly angry” over her mother’s suicide.
"She had incredibly great days in the middle of the dark days."
Country superstar Wynonna Judd, in her first television interview since her mother Naomi took her own life, talks about grief, going back on tour, and more with Lee Cowan this "Sunday Morning" pic.twitter.com/EAMs8epkyH
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) September 22, 2022
Wynonna Talks Mother’s Suicide
During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning Wynonna opened up about how she found out about her mother’s death.
“I got the call, and I went over, and I saw her and I said goodbye to her in the hospital, and I closed her eyes, and I kissed her forehead, and that was that,” Wynonna recalled. “And next thing I know, I’m sitting here on the side porch, and I’m just trying to figure out what’s next.”
While Wynonna was aware that her mother had struggled with mental illness, she said that she did not know that she was having suicidal thoughts.
“I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it, because she had had episodes before and she got better,” she explained. “And that’s what I live in, is like, ‘Was there anything I should have looked for or should I have known?’ I didn’t.”
Sunday Morning Passage ☀️
We learned Saturday of the passing, at age 76, of country music legend Naomi Judd, mother of Ashley and Wynonna Judd. We also remember some of the notable figures who also left us this week. pic.twitter.com/LMHiABs8S0
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) May 1, 2022
Related: Wynonna Judd Upset After Mother Naomi Left Her And Ashley Out Of Her Will
‘Incredibly Angry’
When Cowan asked if she is angry about her mother’s suicide, Wynonna replied, “Yes. Incredibly angry.”
“Does that ever go away?” the correspondent followed up, to which asked Wynonna responded, “No, I don’t think so, not for a while. And I’ll let you know. I’ll call you up and literally send you a note.”
While the singer was close to her mother, with whom she formed the musical duo The Judds, she confessed that their relationship was complicated.
“We were incredibly close, and then she’d get mad at me: ‘Why do you do that?’ And then we’d, you know, not get along and be disconnected, and we’d come back together and hug and cry,” she recalled. “It was incredibly complicated. We tried really hard. And those are the tears, because I know that we tried. And we did pretty damn good — most of the time!”
Check out what turned out to be The Judds final performance together below.
Wynonna Judd reunited with her mother Naomi Judd, who passed on Saturday at the age of 76, to sing “Love Can Build a Bridge” in front of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame just weeks ago. Take a moment and watch how beautiful they are together. pic.twitter.com/SzE5T6iWXc
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) May 1, 2022
Related: Judge Rules That ‘Graphic’ Naomi Judd Suicide Photos Remain Sealed
‘There’s Nothing Like Family Harmony’
Wynonna went on to say that it was when she and Naomi performed together onstage that they were truly in sync.
“There’s nothing like family harmony,” she continued. “And sometimes the only harmony we had was in music.”
Even though their relationship had its’ complicated moments, Naomi was always able to express her love for her daughter.
“She told me one time, she took my hand and she said, ‘My life is better because of you.’ Those are the memories that are starting to come through, more and more. I think when you lose your mother, a lot of that crap goes away, ’cause it doesn’t matter anymore,” Wynonna reflected. “It just doesn’t.”
Mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna Judd were one of the most successful country music duos in history. In her first interview since the death of her mother, Wynonna talks with correspondent Lee Cowan about using music to keep grief at bay. https://t.co/vcICJPc0o5 pic.twitter.com/M2sU7ihSNv
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) September 24, 2022
Wynonna Preparing To Go On Tour
Wynonna is preparing to go on tour next week for The Judds: The Final Tour which she’d planned to go on with her mother before her death.
“I wanna come out on stage and sing from my toenails a song that helps someone out in that audience,” she said of this tour. “It’s about me singing to help someone feel better. That’s always in my spirit.”
Check out Wynonna’s full interview on this in the video below.
Naomi’s suicide continues to serve as a reminder that you never really know what someone else is going through when it comes to their mental health. Please join us in saying a prayer for Wynonna and the rest of the Judd family during this difficult time.