Naomi Judd’s Lavish Mansion Was Her ‘Sanctuary’ After Retiring From Music And During Estrangement From Daughter

Jan 30, 2023 by apost team

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide that may be troubling for some readers.

When it comes to country music, Naomi Judd was one of the few who can say they truly impacted the industry. She had gifts as a singer, songwriter and performer and had also acted over the course of her career. She was most famous for her work alongside her daughter Wynonna Judd as a member of the musical duo The Judds.

Naomi was born on Jan. 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. She had humble beginnings and also went through some hardships early on in life. Her brother died of leukemia when he was just 17 years old in 1965. Naomi became a mom around the same time, giving birth to her first daughter Wynonna in 1964 when she was only 18. Naomi welcomed her second daughter Ashley into the family in 1968. At the time, she had been married to a man named Michael Ciminella, but after they divorced, Naomi raised Wynonna and Ashley all on her own – which led to some problems and difficulties along the way. 

However, she continued to pursue her passions and made a career in music for herself. Both of her children have also grown up to become famous in the entertainment industry. 

Thanks to her numerous accolades and accomplishments in the industry, Naomi saved up some fortune to purchase a 1000-acre estate in Nashville, Tennessee. Her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley have also purchased several properties in the area. 

Unfortunately, this didn’t mean that Naomi had everything in her life completely sorted out, as she was met with hardships at a high point in her career. Tragically, she took her own life in 2022 at the age of 76.

Read on to learn more about Naomi's Nashville estate, which became her sanctuary while she fell out with her eldest daughter prior to her death.

Growing up, Naomi had a tough childhood despite being a bubbly child back then. After being molested by her uncle, Naomi’s trauma worsened because she had no one to confide in. 

In her teenage years, Naomi fell pregnant with her then-boyfriend Charles Jordan, who became the father of her eldest child, Wynonna. However, Jordan was frightened by the idea of responsibility and raising a child and left Naomi, leaving her to fend for herself. Notably, years later, she then married Michael Ciminella, the father of her youngest daughter, Ashley. 

However, the marriage did not work either, leaving her alone to navigate life as a single parent of two. While Ashley knew who her father was, Wynonna was clueless about her father’s real identity, which wasn’t revealed to her until she was 30 years old, causing a rift between her and Naomi. 

In her memoir, "River of Time," Naomi revealed that she had been suffering from depression, noting that after her tour at the time, the trauma of molestation came rushing back to her.

"I never dealt with all the stuff that happened to me, so it came out sideways, as depression and anxiety. Depression is partly genetic, and I have it on both sides of my family," Judd told NBC. "I had to go into serious treatment, and it was a long road — an incredibly painful road. There were times when I didn’t think I was going to make it."

She even confessed to ABC that there had been one point in her life after performances when she would come home and not leave the house for three weeks and stay in her pajamas. Speaking more about what she went through in her therapy, Naomi also revealed that she also had a period of estrangement with her daughter Wynonna during those times. 

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Elaborating in her memoir further, Naomi confessed that while her relationship with Ashley has helped her to recover, it was the opposite for Wynonna. 

“From the day I knew she existed it was the two of us against the world. Then through the decades we kind of grew up together because it was really just the two of us. I'm always telling her: ‘if I'd known better, I would have done better – so why bore the brunt of all the mistakes I made, we talked about it we've been through a lot of therapy together,” she told ABC. 

It seemed like Wynonna, despite their closeness in their musical endeavors, was upset with her mother for the past mistakes she made when she raised her alone back then. 

“I love her but there are just times we need a break from each other,” she furthered before confirming that she was still estranged from Wynonna at the time in 2017. She also emphasized that it was normal for mothers and daughters to hit a patch like that.

But thankfully, Naomi had her home, to shift her focus while recovering from depression and anxiety. In a quick tour of her mansion in HGTV’s “Celebrities At Home," Naomi showed her house, which she called a “sanctuary” and “haven.” 

The abode was equipped with state-of-the-art speakers in a wood-paneled receiving area, which encompassed almost six rooms because of its size. Her picturesque and airy kitchen was also one of the main highlights of her home, which also featured big country windows that gave a homey vibe to her abode. 

While the beautiful ranch home gave her solace during her darkest times, sadly, Naomi passed away on April 30, 2022, because of  "the disease of mental illness," as her daughters referred to her suicide. She was survived by her husband, Larry Strickland, and daughters, Wynonna and Ashley. 

Are you a Naomi Judd fan? What do you think of Naomi and Wynonna Judd’s relationship? Do you think Wynonna should have forgiven her mother for her mistakes while she was a solo parent? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other loved ones.

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please visit https://findahelpline.com/ to find your local suicide prevention hotline. The hotlines provide 24/7, free and confidential support for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.