Ashley Judd Shares Devastating Tribute To Her Late Mother Naomi

Fans and the family of Naomi Judd are still reeling in her loss. On April 29, Naomi's daughter, Ashley Judd, took to Instagram and Twitter to share the news of Naomi's death, which shook the country music world. "Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness," the actor wrote. "We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public." She added that they are in "unknown territory."

Ashley had a close relationship with her mother, even though she wasn't part of the family singing group. In an interview with AARP in 2006, the actor called her mother "a healer" who "cares deeply about leaving a positive mark in the world." Naomi also raved over her daughters in the same interview, stating that she raised "two very creative, strong-willed, expressive, passionate women." Naomi added, "The bad news is, I raised two very creative, strong-willed, expressive, passionate women." However, not everything was sunshine and roses. In Ashley's memoir "All That Is Bitter & Sweet," she detailed some of the more challenging parts of her upbringing, via HuffPost. "My family of origin, the one into which I was born, was also brimming with love but was not a healthy family system," the actor wrote in the book. "There was too much trauma, abandonment, addiction, and shame." 

But it's always tough to lose a family member and Ashley's paying tribute to her mother once again in a devastating post.

It's clear that the death of Naomi Judd has had a profound impact on many people, and her two daughters are no exception. Following The Judd's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ashley Judd took to Instagram to share a series of photos from the memorable evening. In the first image, the "Double Jeopardy" actor and Wynonna Judd stood in front of a plaque from the ceremony. Another photo captured flower vases surrounding a picture of Naomi's silhouette. Ashley also shared a short clip of Naomi's husband, Larry Strickland, singing. "My bereft Pop @larrystrickland7 singing How Great Thou Art for me on my sleeping Porch," she wrote in the caption.

To end the post, Ashley made sure to thank fans for their support. "Your outpouring is reaching me. Thank you for every thought, prayer, message, text, email, post, expression," she wrote. "We each are alone, and we are in fellowship, broken and held, protected from nothing and sustained in everything ... It's the beginning of an old story, life and death, loss and life." To end the post, Ashley told her mother to "be free." 

The Judd sisters have been putting on a brave face through it all. Ashley took the stage with her sister, Wynonna, to speak on her mother's behalf at their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. "My mama loved you so much — and I'm sorry that she couldn't hang on until today," Ashley told the crowd through tears.