Ashley Judd on how her family is navigating grief 3 months after Naomi Judd's death
Ashley Judd offered an update on how her family -- including sister Wynonna Judd -- is navigating grief three months after mother Naomi Judd's death.
The "Double Jeopardy" actress opened up during an interview on the "Healing with David Kessler" podcast Tuesday, saying one of the things she, her sister and their stepfather, Larry Strickland, have done well is "really given each other the dignity and the allowance to grieve in our individual and respective ways" while still being able to "completely stick together."
"We don't try to control or redirect or dictate how the other one should be feeling at any particular moment," she said, noting that they can all be at the dinner table and recognize that each other may be in a different stage of grief.
Judd, 54, said she has "had some of the most sacred and holy experiences" with Strickland since her mother's death, explaining how he comes over every morning. After she takes care of herself -- with readings, writing, meditation and connecting with her partner -- she will make coffee and breakfast for Strickland and they'll "sit and grieve together."
"And that looks like different things on different mornings -- he might cry, I might cry, we might just talk," she said, adding that she recently gave him a journal so he can express himself in that way. "We may be in slightly different places and yet we're in community."
The same goes for her sister. Judd said Wynonna -- who also lives close by -- spent the night with her recently and they talked about their mother.
"She's in a pretty different place than I am right now," she said of Wynonna. "And we don't have to be congruent in order to have compassion for each other, and I think that that's a really important grace that family members can hopefully learn to give each other."
Reflecting on her childhood, Judd said she now sees that her mother "was absolutely doing the best that she could, and if she could have done it differently, she would have" in respect to her mental health struggles.
The Emmy-nominated actress added that she doesn't have any residual resentment toward her mother.
"My most ardent wish for my mother is that, when she transitioned, she was hopefully able to let go of any guilt or shame that she carried for any shortcomings she may have had in her parenting of my sister and me," she said. "Because, certainly on my end, all was forgiven long ago."
Naomi Judd died by suicide on April 30 at the age of 76. The next day, the country music duo known as The Judds -- which consisted of Naomi and Wynonna -- were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Wynonna will go on tour as The Judds for a farewell tour later this year.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
