Wynonna Judd Opens Up About Naomi's Final Years and the Calls That Changed Everything

Wynonna Judd is sharing a side of her family’s story that few people ever heard. On Anderson Cooper’s podcast“All There Is,”she said her mother Naomi talked about death frequently in the years before her suicide in April 2022, even mentioning jumping off a bridge to her grandson, who works as a deputy. When Naomi called Wynonna saying she“didn’t want to be here anymore,”Wynonna would go spend the night with her.

Wynonna and her sister Ashley kept trying to reassure their mom that she had too much to live for. The family later said Naomi had been treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder. She died at 76, just one day before The Judds were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, closing a four-decade run that started when mother and daughter teamed up in 1980.

Talking about suicide and mental illness openly is how stigma loses its grip, and Wynonna’s honesty could reach someone who needs it today. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 for free, confidential support at any hour.

Have you ever had a late-night call like that with someone you love? Tell us how you handled it in the comments.