We have a tragic update on the death of Naomi Judd.
As previously reported, the beloved singer — who performed for decades alongside her daughter, Wynona, and whose other daughter was actress Ashley Judd — died over the weekend at age 76.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” read a statement by the Judds on April 30.
“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.”
As you can see, no cause of death was announced at the time off Judd’s passing.
An additional statement from Naomi’s husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland, didn’t confirm the cause, either.
“Naomi Judd’s family request privacy during this heartbreaking time,” it read.
“No additional information will be released at this time.”
According to People Magazine, meanwhile, Naomi Judd took her own life.
It’s unclear at the time the manner of her death, however.
She did so following decades of mental health problems and struggles.
A longtime advocate for mental wellness, the superstar penned an open letter for Mental Health Awareness Week in 2018
“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,” wrote the musician at the time.
“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.”
The statement, which must now be considered especially eerie and said, continued as follows:
To understand this issue better, we have to bring the study of suicide into mainstream neuroscience and treat the condition like every other brain disorder.
People who commit suicide are experiencing problems with mood, impulse control and aggression, all of which involve discrete circuits in the brain that regulate these aspects of human experience.
But we still don’t understand how these circuits go haywire in the brains of suicide victims.
On Sunday, The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville … with Ashley and Wynonna reciting a Bible passage in their mom’s honor during the event, per the Associated Press.
“I’m sorry that she couldn’t hang on until today,” the actress told the audience through tears.
Wynonna joined her sister in paying tribute to the late artist, adding:
“I didn’t prepare anything tonight because I knew mom would probably talk the most. 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. … Though my heart’s broken, I will continue to sing, because that’s what we do.”
The late Kentucky native and her oldest daughter formed the country duo The Judds in 1983, winning five Grammys together throughout their careers.
The family act recently announced their first tour in over a decade, titled The Final Tour.
The 10-date arena tour, which was nearly sold-out, was set to kick off on September 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and would conclude in Nashville on October 28.
On Sunday, Kyle Young — CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the night’s Master of Ceremonies — also took the stage to speak about the performers’ family bond, along with the much-publicized turbulence in their relationship.
“We can’t ever know all their struggles, but we know all their songs,” he said.
“Their stories have been well documented, Naomi and Wynonna, a mother and daughter forced together and forged together.
It’s all complicated — and it all emerged in beauty and triumph.”