Facing the music. Naomi Judd’s daughters, Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd, are not listed in her will, Us Weekly can confirm.
The late country singer, who died by suicide in April at the age of 76, appeared to cut her children out of her will ahead of her passing. The former nurse left her fortune to her husband, Larry Strickland, according to court documents obtained by Us.
“I nominate and appoint my spouse, Larry Strickland, as executor of my estate,” the document read. “In the event my spouse ceases or fails to serve, then I nominate and appoint my brother-in-law, Reginald Strickland and Daniel Kris Wiatr as co-executors. I direct that no bond shall be required of my executor.”
Naomi was married to Larry, 76, for 33 years before her death. The “Long Black Train” crooner, who wed Naomi in May 1989, was granted “full authority and discretion” to deal with and dish out “any real property comprising an asset of my estate,” according to the will.
He doesn’t need the “approval of any court, the joinder of any beneficiary, or the disclosure of the identity of any beneficiary of my estate” to make decisions or sell off land, per the documents.
Ashley, 54, and Wynonna, 58, are not mentioned in the will, however, a source close to the family exclusively told Us that they are listed as beneficiaries of Naomi’s Trust. “It is likely they will inherit money through that once it is administered,” the insider said, noting that Larry is also the “administrator and head of the Trust, so he really is in control of the whole estate.”
The Judd sisters announced the passing of their beloved matriarch via social media in April after Ashley discovered her mom dead at her Tennessee home.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the women wrote in a Twitter statement at the time. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Naomi — who was one-half of the country music duo The Judds alongside her eldest child Wynonna — was set to be inducted into the Country Music Fall of Fame with Wynonna one day later. In the wake of her death, the sisters accepted the honor in Nashville.
The following month, the Double Jeopardy actress confirmed that the Kentucky native had taken her own life using a gun. Ashley also opened up about her late mother’s mental health battle, explaining during a May Good Morning America appearance that it is important to “make the distinction between our loved one and the disease” after Naomi lost out to mental illness.
“It’s very real. It lies, it’s savage. My mother, our mother, couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame by her peers. I mean, that is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her,” the Berlin Station alum said at the time. “The lie that the disease told her was so convincing. … [The lie] that you’re not enough, the lie that you’re not loved, that you’re not worthy. Her brain hurt. It physically hurt.”
Wynonna, for her part, chose to honor her late mother and musical partner by moving forward with The Judds’ fall tour as previously planned.
“The show must go on. As hard as it may be. And we will show up together,” the “My Strongest Weakness” musician announced during the lived televised memorial for Naomi in May called Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration. “You will carry me — as you carried me for 38 years — once again, because I honestly didn’t think I could do it.”
