JUDD DREAD: How Wynonna and Ashley Judd went to war over mother Naomi's will
Country music star Wynonna Judd reportedly plans to formally dispute her late mother Naomi Judd's will, in which she left her entire $25 million fortune to her husband. Naomi, who was also Wynonna's long-time singing partner as 'The Judds', left her two daughters Wynonna and Ashley Judd out of her will in a perplexing move.
Wynonna, 58, and Ashley, 54, were not mentioned in the will and received no portion of her estate, with the Nashville star leaving everything to her widower Larry Strickland. Naomi had been married for 33 years when she appointed Strickland as executor of her estate, a move that was said to "baffle" Wynonna.
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Naomi had two daughters, Wynonna (born 1964) and Ashley (born 1968) with her boyfriend Charles Jordan, who had abandoned her. Later on, Naomi married Michael Ciminella and gave birth to Ashley, however, the marriage ended in divorce. Naomi married Strickland in 1989. In April 2022, Naomi died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, at the age of 76 because of depression.
Now, the Grammy award-winning country star’s decision has reportedly sparked another bitter battle between Ashley and Wynonna over her will. According to Radar, Ashley is allying with her late mother and Larry, while Wynona believes they "conspired" against her.
According to one source, after her mother's death, "Wynonna was banking on getting a piece of the pie." Ashley believed her mother "knew what she was doing" by not giving her sister a lump sum, according to a family friend.
They added, "Wynonna has had money problems throughout her adult life." "She’s blown through every dollar she made with The Judds. She even checked into a treatment facility in 2004 for a "money disorder."
Wynonna is said to be "upset" by the decision because of her singing partnership with Naomi as 'The Judds'. "She believes she was a major force in her mother's success," as per sources.
The sisters have been at odds since 2012 when Wynonna refused to invite Naomi or Ashley to her wedding to country music legend Cactus Moser. In an explosive court filing in 2013, Ashley claimed that her sister had planted a tracking device on her car.
Naomi wrote her will in November 2017, nearly five years before her death, and she was of ''sound mind and disposing memory'' when she signed it. Naomi's will states that Strickland is entitled to ''reasonable compensation'' for his services as executor, Page Six reported. He can also be paid or reimbursed for ''reasonable expenses, advances, and disbursements made or incurred in the administration of my estate, including attorney's and accountant's fees.''
If Strickland is unable to serve as executor of the estate due to death or other circumstances, Naomi's brother-in-law, Reginald Strickland, and the president of Tennessee law firm Wiatr & Associates will serve as co-executors.
The sisters have shown no signs of conflict with their mother, praising her after her death and publicly discussing their difficulties during the grieving process. Both girls had homes on Naomi's 1,000-acre farm in Nashville, which she had owned for nearly three decades. It is unclear whether Wynonna and Ashley's properties are included in her estate.
The Judds rose to an iconic status in the country music industry over the years.
