Larry Strickland, the husband of late country music icon Naomi Judd, has broken his silence with a devastating account of their marriage, revealing a secret shooting incident and decades of hidden mental anguish that culminated in her suicide in April 2022.
In a bombshell interview for the Lifetime documentary “The Judds Family: Truth Be Told” and a concurrent People magazine feature, Strickland confirmed that Naomi once fired a rifle at him during a paranoid episode fueled by her untreated mental illness. The revelation shatters the polished image of one of country music’s most beloved families.
The shooting occurred in the early 1990s, Strickland said, after a mysterious woman called Naomi claiming to be his lover. When he returned home from a gospel tour, he found their wedding photos shredded and his belongings strewn across the lawn. Naomi was waiting with a rifle.
“She fired the weapon,” Strickland told People. “It didn’t hit me, but the emotional damage was permanent.” He did not call police.
Instead, he quietly left the house for several weeks, returning only after Naomi apologized. They agreed to keep the incident secret for the sake of their daughters, Winona and Ashley, and their public image.
The documentary, which aired Sunday, marks the first time Strickland has publicly discussed the darkest moments of their 30-year marriage. He described a woman who was “energetic, passionate, and determined” on stage but “wounded, fearful, and occasionally lost” behind closed doors.
Naomi Judd’s mental health struggles were far deeper than fans ever knew. Strickland revealed that in her final years, she suffered from severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and debilitating sleep disorders. She underwent electroconvulsive therapy and spent time in inpatient facilities, yet her condition continued to deteriorate.
“She was confused,” Strickland recalled. “Recognizing familiar people or remembering essential facts was difficult. She sometimes isolated herself from family and friends.”
Video footage from her later years shows a woman with lifeless eyes, physically diminished and emotionally distant.
The pressure of fame compounded her pain. Naomi rose from poverty and single motherhood as a nurse to become half of the Judds, a Grammy-winning duo with her daughter Winona. But behind the awards, she battled hepatitis C, which forced her to retire at the peak of their success.
The illness, combined with childhood trauma from her mother’s mental illness, left deep scars.
Strickland said he considered divorce during the worst periods. “I was overwhelmed by her mental health issues and the couple’s growing separation,” he admitted. But he stayed, fearing she would feel abandoned.
“She screamed for rescue, not rage. Just great pain and anxiety.”
The months before Naomi’s death were particularly harrowing. In April 2022, she made a mysterious trip to Vienna, Austria, alone. Strickland did not accompany her, and the purpose remains unknown.
When she returned, friends noted she seemed exhausted and emotionally withdrawn.
On April 30, 2022, one day before she and Winona were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Tennessee home. Her daughter Ashley found her. The tragedy stunned the music world and ignited a national conversation about mental health.
Strickland now regrets not being more compassionate in her final days. “I would have been kinder to her if I had known where she was,” he said. “I apologize for not noticing her despair and for comforting her in her darkest periods.”
The aftermath of Naomi’s death brought another shock: her 2017 will left her estimated $25 million estate entirely to Strickland, excluding Winona and Ashley. The revelation fueled speculation about family turmoil. Winona publicly supported the will, saying her mother’s wishes mattered more than money.
Ashley, who has written about her emotional distance from Naomi, described the pain of feeling abandoned even after death.
Strickland’s confession has reopened old wounds but also provided a clearer picture of the woman behind the legend. “She didn’t mean to hurt me,” he said of the shooting. “She felt alone, terrified, and overwhelmed.”
He hopes sharing their story will help others facing similar struggles.
The Judds’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame proceeded as planned, with Winona delivering a tearful tribute. Strickland sat silently in the audience, grieving privately. “I was with her practically constantly for 13 years, making sure she got everything she needed,” he said.
“With a mentally sick friend, you walk the route with them.”
Naomi Judd’s legacy now includes not only her music but also the hidden battles she fought. Her husband’s brutal honesty has pulled back the curtain on a marriage marked by love, chaos, and ultimately, tragedy. The truth, he says, is finally out.
