Wynonna Judd opens up about grief in first interview since her mother’s death

Country superstar Wynonna Judd — in her first televised interview since her mother, Naomi Judd, took her own life — talks with reporter Lee Cowan about grief, getting back on tour, and more. “CBS Sunday Morning” will air Sunday, September 25 on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

Winona and Naomi Judd, better known as The Judds, were one of the most successful country music duos in history, selling more than 20 million albums. In April, just days before she was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi, who had battled depression, took his life.

“I got the call, and I went up, and I looked at him and there he was,” Judd told Cowan. “I said goodbye to him at the hospital, and I closed his eyes, and I kissed his forehead and there he was. And the next thing I know, I’m here on the front porch, on the side porch. Sitting … you know, and I’m just trying to figure out what’s next.

“I didn’t know she was in that place when she finished it because she had had episodes before and she got better,” Judd said. “And that’s what I live in, is like, ‘Was there something I should have looked for or known?’ I didn’t. That’s why it’s such a shock.”

In an interview at his home outside of Nashville, Judd spoke to Kwon about his relationship with his mother and his sister Ashley. Her grief and how she is honoring her mother by continuing to tour The Judes, which they announced just weeks before Naomi’s death.

“I feel like she’s avoiding me. And sometimes, I laugh,” Judd said. “And sometimes, I say, ‘I miss you so much. Why aren’t you here so we can talk?'”

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