Ashley Judd appeared at the White House on Tuesday, where she used her platform and story to promote the Biden administration’s newly created National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Ashley’s mother, singer Naomi Judd, died by suicide at the age of 76 on April 30, 2022. To commemorate the upcoming second anniversary of that tragic day, she addressed those attending Tuesday’s events and recalled her mother’s struggles with mental health and depression.
“I am here because I am the daughter of my beloved mother and on the day she died, which will be the two-year anniversary in a week, she lied about mental illness and, with great horror, convinced her that it would be so will never get better,” Ashley shared in her emotional speech.
The actress explained that her mother “spent most of her life with an untreated and undiagnosed mental illness that lied to her and stole from her…She stole from our family and she deserved better.”
Ashley, 56, also shared her own experiences with childhood trauma and resulting depression, for which she sought treatment and was able to overcome with help and professional care.
“I have been recovering well for 18 years and had a different outcome than my mother,” Ashley said. “I convey a message of hope and recovery.”
Ashely also shared some images from Tuesday’s event at the White House as she promoted the Biden administration’s new efforts to address the mental health crisis.
Shortly after Naomi’s death Ashley spoke with Diane Sawyerand revealed that she was the one Who found her mother, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later had to be the person to break the news to Naomi’s husband, Larry Strickland.
Recalling her mother’s last day, Ashley explained: “It was a mixed day. When I’m home in Tennessee, I visit my mom and dad every day, so I was visiting the house like every day,” Mom said to me, “Will you stay with me?” and I said, “Of course I will”… I went upstairs to tell her that her good friend was there and discovered that I have both grief and trauma for discovering her.
While Ashley said at the time that she found it difficult to talk about her mother’s death, she wanted to help raise awareness about the reality of mental illness.
“When we talk about mental illness, it is very important to be clear and differentiate between our loved one and the illness,” she said. “It’s very real and it’s lying. It’s cruel.”
Ashley’s sister, Wynonna Judd59, spoke to ET in April 2023 at the CMT Music Awardsjust weeks before the first anniversary of Naomi’s death, where she took the stage to perform “I Want To Know What Love Is” with Ashley McBryde.
“I’m going to use my time to talk to anyone out there who’s struggling,” Wynonna told ET on the carpet before her performance. “It’s an opportunity to help someone.”
“It’s a bittersweet time,” continued Wynonna, who was also looking forward to her granddaughter’s first birthday in just a few weeks. “I am in both agony and ecstasy.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741 -741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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