Wynonna Judd got deeply candid about how she is coping in the weeks after her mother, Naomi Judd, died by suicide.
“The pain of losing Mom on 4/30 to suicide is so great, that I often feel like I’m not ever going to be able to fully accept and surrender to the truth that she left the way she did,” the country singer, 57, shared alongside a photo of herself in concert via Instagram on Sunday, May 29. “This cannot be how The Judds’ story ends.”
The Judds songstress penned the emotional post as a way to reflect on everything “happening in the world right now,” she explained, noting that she “heard the words from my life coach” asking her, “’What do you know?’ And I began to cry.”
Wynonna, who became a grandmother for the first time just weeks before her mother’s death, added that in order to be there for her grandson and “break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction, that I must continue to show up for myself {first} and do the personal healing work.” That work involves “a simple steps program” — steps that “are not easy to take at times,” she acknowledged. (The “Love Can Build a Bridge” singer opened up about her food addiction in 2005.)
The Kentucky native specifically describing how she is planning to hold herself accountable for her well-being.
“I’ve made a commitment to keep doing the ‘next right thing,’ and schedule weekly appointments so that I continue with the ongoing work, even when I have good days,” she continued in the Instagram caption, adding that “it’s okay to reach out for help,” since “I cannot do this grieving thing all by myself. “I will continue to fight for my faith, for my SELF, for my family, and I WILL continue to show up & sing.”
During the May 15 CMT tribute to her late mother, during which she also performed, the “I Know Where I’m Going” singer revealed that she will still embark on The Judds’ preplanned tour.
“I made a decision and I decided to share it on national television. After a lot of thought, I am gonna have to honor her and do this tour. I’m just gonna have to,” the artist said. “Because that’s what [fans] would want. … The show must go on. As hard as it may be. And we will show up together.”
Naomi, who had long been outspoken about her battle with her mental health, died on April 30 at age 67. Wynonna’s sister, Ashley, revealed their mother’s cause of death in a candid interview with Good Morning America earlier this month.
“She used a weapon … my mother used a firearm,” the Where the Heart Is actress, 54, said, adding, “So that’s the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we’re in a position that if we don’t say it someone else is going to.”
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
