Country Music Icon Naomi Judd Commits Suicide After Years of Struggling With Mental Illness: Report
Country music icon Naomi Judd reportedly committed suicide on Saturday following a longtime battle with mental illness at 76 years old.
Multiple sources confirmed Judd's manner of death to People. However, the outlet noted that a representative for Judd has yet to respond regarding the country music icon's death.
Naomi's daughters, Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd, announced their mom's death in an emotional statement this weekend. On Saturday, Ashley and Wynonna, took to Instagram to announce the death of their mother, saying they lost their mom to the disease of mental illness.
Judd's daughters further noted they were "navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public," adding that they were "in unknown territory."
Larry Strickland, Judd's husband for 32 years, also issued a statement regarding her death, Page Six reported. He said: "Naomi Judd's family request privacy during this heartbreaking time. No additional information will be released at this time."
Naomi Judd's Mental Health
Naomi Judd had been open about her mental health struggles, and she shared it in an interview with "Good Morning America" in 2016.
At the time, the country music icon said she was facing "extreme and severe depression" that forced her into seclusion. She further noted that her condition also worsened when she and Wynonna stopped touring as The Judds in 2011.
The duo stopped performing in 1991 when doctors diagnosed Naomi with hepatitis C, which she reportedly contracted while working as a nurse.
The country music icon also opened up about her struggles in her 2016 book "River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope."
People reported that the singer mentioned in the book that she had suffered from suicidal depression. Judd also wrote an open letter for the Mental Health Awareness Week in 2018 that was shared exclusively with People.
"For everyone mourning the death of someone who committed suicide, an inevitable question arises: Why did this happen? Unfortunately, we don't have very good answers," Judd wrote at the time.
She added: "We do know that suicidal behavior accompanies many behavioral brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Suicide is actually one of the leading causes of preventable death among these mental illnesses."
Naomi Judd is not the only one suffering from mental health issues in the family. Last year, Wynona Judd also told Page Six that she attempted suicide at 18 and is still suffering from depression.
Naomi Judd's Daughters Honors Her at Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd broke down in tears as they inducted their late mother into the Country Music Hall of Fame, New York Post reported.
"I'm gonna make this fast because my heart's broken, and I feel so blessed. It's a very strange dynamic, to be this broken and this blessed," Wynonna told the crowd at Sunday's Country Music Hall of Fame induction.
Ashley then noted that her mother loved her fans so much. She also said that she was sorry because Naomi was not able to make it to the ceremony as "she couldn't hang on until today."
Wynonna added that she would continue to sing even though her heart was broken.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle's Animated Series' Pearl' Canceled: Why Did Netflix Scrap the Show?
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Naomi Judd's Daughters Break Down During Country Music Hall of Fame Induction - From Entertainment Tonight