Wynonna Judd's volatile family relationships are the true stuff of country music. She and her late mother, Naomi, sometimes butted heads. She took her own life in 2022 at the age of 76. Wynonna and her sister, Ashley, are apparently on the outs right now. And Wynonna's adult daughter, Grace Pauline Kelley, has had multiple run-ins with the law, plus addiction challenges.
Videos by Wide Open Country
All that angst is a whole lot to work through. Wynonna Judd is navigating it partly via music. She has a new album, The Hard Truth, that explores her acute familial anguish in song. It's actually her first LP in ten years and drops on October 2. Judd described the cleansing experience of making it to People. "It was both painful and healing. It felt like I was standing in church, giving my testimony." She summed up the meat of this endeavor. "Raw and real is what this album is."
Judd added, "I feel like this is the most honest and vulnerable I've ever been. It's there for everyone to hear. So there are some days I think, 'Oh my God, what have I done?' And then other days I think, 'There comes a point in your life when you are ready to tell your testimony.'"
Judd Clashed with Her Mom Naomi
On stage, Wynonna Judd and her mother produced sweet melodies. The Judds had hit after hit. However, off stage and out of public view, they were not always in emotional sync. Naomi's depression was always kept camouflaged.
Judd shared with the outlet, "There was a tremendous amount of love there; a lot of drama but a lot of love as well. It was definitely a paradox, My mother had an illness, she had a disease. I kept the secret, and I was devastated by that."
Additionally, years ago, Judd shatteringly learned that the person she believed was her actual father was not. "I just remember going through such a depression about it: 'I have everything, and here I am, not knowing who my birth father is.'"
Judd is still puzzled about why her mother hid that fact from her. She told People, "I have forgiven her as much as possible. You don't forget. But I've wondered a million times why she didn't tell me. I carry a great deal of anger about that at times. And then other times I totally accept it. It's part of my story. It's what helps us write good songs."
Her Relationship With Sister Ashley Has Ruptured
Wynonna Judd offered a terse explanation of what went on between her sister and her. "We're taking a break, which all families can relate to. She's doing her thing, and I'm doing mine." End of story, at least for now.
Judd's Daughter Isn't in Contact With Her
Grace Kelley, according to the outlet, "cut off contact [with Judd] a year ago." That stings. "I miss he desperately," Judd admits. She hopes that Kelley heals emotionally and stops blaming her mom.
Kelley alleges that Judd's second husband, D.R. Roach, her then-stepfather, molested her years ago. Per People, "...Roach was arrested in 2007 and charged with sexual battery of a minor...." The victim's identity was not made public. Judd divorced him.
Of Kelley, she says, "She's 30. There comes a point when you can't blame anymore. You have to take a look at yourself." Meanwhile, Wynonna Judd and her husband, Cactus Moser, are raising Grace Kelley's little daughter, Kaliyah.
