Ashley Judd has become the spokesperson for her family recently when it comes to discussing her mother’s tragic and sudden death on April 30. She explained as such when giving an interview with Good Morning America on May 12. “Both Sister and Pop have sort of deputized me, in certain ways, to speak on behalf of the family at this early time,” Ashley said. She explained that they wanted all news in the wake of Naomi Judd’s death to come directly from the family, and Ashley has the difficult job of being the messenger.
She handled the interview with such grace, though, and her situation has garnered unending love and support from close friends and fans alike. Ashley Judd is now trending on Twitter because of her poignant and heart-wrenching interview; she discussed an understanding of the importance of talking about mental health, yet spoke from a place of deep grief.
People wrote on Twitter in support for Ashley and her family during this time, with some pulling particularly heartbreaking quotes from her interview. “In the wake of this tragedy, Ashley Judd said: ‘the lie the disease told her was so convincing,'” wrote Beth Livingston, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, “And isn’t that a perfect encapsulation of the disease of depression–it lies. It lies so very convincingly. My heart goes out to everyone whose depression is lying to them today.”
In the wake of this tragedy, Ashley Judd said: “the lie the disease told her was so convincing.” And isn’t that a perfect encapsulation of the disease of depression–it lies. It lies so very convincingly. My heart goes out to everyone whose depression is lying to them today. https://t.co/VeMUlGXSu2
— Beth Livingston (@BethALivingston) May 12, 2022
Fans Share Support in Wake of Ashley Judd’s Good Morning America Interview
“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 Judd shared on Good Morning America. She explained that “I was in high functioning shock. And we all grieve in our own way.” Ashley is right; grief is not linear, and we all grieve in different ways. For the Judd family, part of that is making sure news about Naomi’s death doesn’t get twisted by the media.
“I really appreciate the way Ashley Judd is speaking about her mother’s mental illness and suicide,” wrote Twitter user Ali. “Wish more people would discuss the ways in which a person’s brain lies to them no matter what is going on outside of it.”
I really appreciate the way Ashley Judd is speaking about her mother’s mental illness and suicide. Wish more people would discuss the ways in which a person’s brain lies to them no matter what is going on outside of it.
— Ali (@wordninja_ali) May 12, 2022
Now is a time of grief, but also of reflection and understanding. The Judds’ tragedy is a reminder of how easy it is to believe what mental illness tells us, and fall into that dark place. Mental illness is not a dirty word–on the contrary, it’s important that we release mental health and illness from the chains of stigma we’ve bound them with. We take care of our physical health, why not our mental health as well?
In addition to a private ceremony held on May 7, the Judds planned a public memorial for fans. “Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration” will air on CMT on May 15 at 6 pm eastern.
