Naomi, Wynonna Judd: We Were Sexually Abused, Too
Credit: ABC/Heidi Gutman
In her headline grabbing memoir, All That Is Bitter and Sweet, Ashley Judd talks about being sexually abused as a child by an older man. Now her famous mother and older sister -- a.k.a. the singing duo The Judds -- are admitting to similar experiences.
On The View Thursday, Ashley's mom Naomi said that as a three-year-old, she was forced to fend off unwanted advances of an older male relative.
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"I rebuffed him, and it happened twice more," said the singer, 65. "I knocked him away. I never said anything to anybody."
Naomi, who discusses the incident in her OWN Network series The Judds (debuting Sunday), said she kept the story secret until two years ago, when in a therapy session, her psychologist asked about her first memory.
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"I told him, well, being sexually abused was my first memory, and he about fell off his seat," said Judd, who adds she "fell apart" after the discovery. "I realized I didn't trust my mother."
Naomi's oldest daughter and singing partner, Wynonna, 46, said that she only heard her mother's story recently when they were touring.
"I was a little resentful that the cameras were on," said Wynonna. "But we're willing to step out on faith and hope that it helps someone else to tell someone because there is a lot of shame and secrecy."
Asked if she'd also been a victim of sexual abuse, Wynonna said she had been and talks about it in her own memoir Coming Home to Myself.
"I haven't faced him yet," she said. "I'm a work in progress."
Wynonna also put to rest rumors that Ashley's book has caused familial strife.
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"People are trying to pit us against each other," she said. "We agree to disagree in this family."
Added Naomi, "I support Ashley. We all have three different realities of the same car ride of the nightmares we were in, it's her turn to tell her side of the story."
Tell Us What You Think
8I Believe them no mather what people think or say. If they are lying well God knows he judges not us.
Give me a damn break. I don't believe all their BS for one second. When Wynonna was a teenager she slept with every Tom, Dick, and Harry just like Naomi back in her day. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. I am beyond tired of every actress (once they have a book being released) coming out and saying she was either raped or sexually abused. I do NOT believe it.
Evelyn, I agree, it is highly suspicious.
ISN'T THIS REMARKABLE? THEY SUPPOSEDLY ARE SO CLOSE BUT THIS SUBJECT NEVER CAME UP EVEN AS A JOKE. WHAT A DUMP OF CRAPOLA! THEY ARE COVERING THEIR REPUTATIONS BECAUSE ASHLEY BLEW EVERYTHING BY COMING OUT WITH THIS BOOK.
How sad. Who was not sexually abused in this family?
Cinnamon, I totally get you. I agree that certain problems should come to light. But I just don't want celebs to "share" so much anymore. Heck, I don't want people in general to do that. It can be something minor, like "I'm not wearing any underwear," to things that I honestly feel should be worked out privately. At some point, it's either clearly a need for attention, or just an outright lack of class.
I agree with you Cinnamon and it's also about making money thru book sells.
At the risk of sounding "insensitive" here..I miss the days when celebs or people in general didn't over share so much! TMI nowadays and sorry, it's not always to "inform and make aware", it's often for publicity...