(CNN) — Ashley Judd and her family wanted the world to hear from them about how Naomi Judd died.
And it happened during the interview that Ashley Judd had with Diane Sawyer and that was broadcast this Thursday on the “Good Morning America” program. She said her family was okay with her sharing her mother’s cause of death.
“He used a gun,” Ashley Judd said. “A firearm. So that’s information that we’re very uncomfortable sharing,” she added.
She and her sister Wynonna Judd revealed on April 30 that they had lost their mother “to mental illness.” Naomi Judd was 76 years old.
Ashley Judd noted that she and her family wanted to bring attention to mental illness. And, in that sense, she explained that it is “important to differentiate between the loved one and the disease.”
Judd said the family reluctantly shared the cause of Naomi Judd’s death before it was otherwise made public. He also revealed that she was the one who found her mother, who had been open about her battle with depression, after it happened.
“I have both pain and trauma from finding her,” said Judd, who began the interview by thanking everyone for the support she and her family have received through their grief.
Naomi Judd died the day before she and her daughter Wynonna, who were part of the country music duo The Judds, were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ashley Judd said her mother “couldn’t take it” to be recognized by her peers.
“That’s the catastrophe level of what was going on inside of her,” Judd said. “Because the barrier between the look in which they appreciated her could not penetrate her heart and the lie that the disease told her was very convincing.”
The Judd sisters attended the ceremony and honored their mother.
CMT will air a televised tribute to Judd this Sunday.
Publisher’s note: If you or a loved one has thought about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The line provides free and confidential assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people in suicidal or distressed crisis. You can learn more about their services here, including their guide on what to do if you spot suicidal signs on social media. You can also send a message with the word TALK to 741741.
You can also call 1-800-273-8255 to speak with someone about how you can help someone in crisis. Call 1-866-488-7386 for TrevorLifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community.
For assistance outside the US, the International Association for Suicide Prevention provides a global directory of resources and international hotlines. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide.
See here the lines of attention and prevention of suicide in Latin America and Spain.
