Naomi Judd left two seemingly obvious benefactors out of her will — her own daughters, Wynonna and Ashley Judd.
Naomi died by suicide April 30. The details of her last will and testament revealed the complete exclusion of her daughters and the appointment of her husband, Larry Strickland, as executor. She gave “full authority and discretion” over any property with value to her estate “without the approval of any court,” according to Page Six.
The news was especially shocking to fans who watched Naomi and Wynonna rise to fame as a mother-daughter duo. Performing together regularly, the Judds were the most successful commercial duo in the history of country music, according to PBS. They produced an impressive collection of 14 No. 1 singles together, the outlet reported.
Naomi Judd apparently left nothing to her two daughters in her will—and appointed her husband as the executor of her estate. https://t.co/SPe4Z9fiX6
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 2, 2022
Naomi Judd spoke out about the fragility of her mental health in 2016. She admitted to suffering from severe depression in an interview with Good Morning America. However, Naomi was of “sound mind and disposing memory” when she created her will on November 20, 2017, sources revealed to Page Six.
Melissa Sitzler from the Tennessee law firm Wiatr & Associates served as a witness when Naomi prepared her will, alongside an individual named Abigail Muelder. They both vouched for Naomi’s state of mind at the time, confirming she wasn’t under any form of restraint and freely and competently expressed her final wishes, according to Page Six. (RELATED: Actress Who Voiced ‘Ursula’ In ‘The Little Mermaid’ Dies At 95)
Daughters Naomi and Wynonna were so explicitly cut out of the will that Naomi reportedly listed two other people to take over as the co-executors if Strickland was unable due to death or illness: her brother-in-law, Reginald Strickland, and Daniel Kris Wiatr, the president of Wiatr & Associates.
Wynonna plans to contest the will, according to Radar Online.