Naomi Judd cause of death: how did Judds singer die, who is her daughter Ashley Judd and who went to funeral?

American country singer Naomi Judd died last month after suffering from mental illness.

Her daughter Ashley Judd appeared on Good Morning America to speak about the cause of death and how the family are coping with the loss.

A private memorial service took place last weekend for the Judd singer.

Who was Naomi Judd?

Naomi Judd was an American singer-songwriter and was known for being one half of the mother-daughter country duo the Judds, with songs like Mama He’s Crazy, Love Can Build a Bridge and Why Not Me?

The 76-year-old star was born in Kentucky, and had two daughters Wynonna, who completed the Grammy Award-winning Judd duo, and Ashley.

The musical pairing had announced their first tour in over a decade, The Final Tour, which was due to start in Michigan this September.

Naomi starred in a few movies such as An Evergreen Christmas and Animal Attraction while producing TV documentaries about her daughters and music.

She was a long-time advocate for mental wellness and wrote for Mental Health Awareness Week in 2018.

What was the cause of Naomi Judd’s death?

Naomi Judd “was lost to the disease of mental illness” on April 30.

The news was announced in a statement by Wynonna and Ashley Judd, one day before the country singer was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Appearing on Good Morning America, Ashley Judd confirmed the cause of death was suicide, and spoke of her grief.

“My mother knew that she was seen and she was heard in anguish. She was walked home,” she said to presenter Diane Sawyer.

Who is Ashley Judd and what else did she say on Good Morning America?

Ashley Judd, 54, is the younger of the two daughters of Naomi Judd.

The American actress and activist is known for her roles in Double Jeopardy and Heat, and is recently separated from Scottish racing driver Dario Franchitti.

Ashley spoke of her mother’s death and coping with grief with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer.

She said: “When we’re talking about mental illness, it’s very important and - to be clear, and to make the distinction between our loved one and the disease.

“Mom was a star, and she was someone who suffered from mental illness, you know, and had a lot of trouble getting off the sofa, except to go into town everyday to the Cheesecake Factory.

“Our mother couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. I mean, that is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her.”

Ashley added:, “She was very isolated in many ways because of the disease and yet there were a lot of people who showed up for her over the years.”

Who went to the funeral?

A private service was held to commemorate the Grammy Award-winning singer last Saturday (7 May 2022) in Nashville.

Friends, family and fellow country singers attended the invitation-only service to remember Naomi Judd.

Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs all paid their respects with half sisters Ashley and Wynonna at the CMA Theatre.

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