“Our mother couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers,” Ashley Judd said. “That is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her.”
Less than two weeks after singer Naomi Judd took her own life, her daughter Ashley Judd is sharing heartbreaking details about her mother’s death.
In a new interview on “Good Morning America,” Ashley confirmed her mother took her own life, saying the crippling depression suffered by the country music superstar was simply more than she could bear.
“I will share with you that she used a weapon. Mother used a firearm,” Ashley told ABC’s Diane Sawyer.
The grieving daughter said she felt compelled to go public before the autopsy was released.
“I was at the house visiting as I am everyday, and mom said to me, ‘Will you stay with me?’ and I said, ‘Of course I will,’” Ashley said.
Ashley says she stepped outside to greet a visitor and when she returned, it was too late.
“I went upstairs to let her know the friend was there, and I discovered her,” Ashley said.
Only a few weeks earlier, Naomi showed Inside Edition's Megan Alexander around her sprawling property in the hills of Tennessee. She gushed how she loved spending time with daughters, Ashley and Wynonna, who live next door.
To an outsider, it seemed impossible — how could the beloved singer take her own life the day before she was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame?
“Our mother couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers,” Ashley Judd said. “That is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her.”
“The lie that the disease told her was so convincing,” Ashley continued.
“And it’s the lie that you are not —?” Sawyer asked.
“That you're not enough, that you're not loved, that you’re not worthy,” Ashley said.
Ashley says her mom planned out every detail of her funeral, which was held last Saturday in private. Dolly Parton opened the service. Naomi also selected each song to be performed, including her very own “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
A public memorial for Naomi Judd will be held this Sunday in Nashville. CMT will air it live.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential support for people in distress 24/7. People can call the hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or chat online at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
