Opening up about the losses of family members, Anderson Cooper and Ashley Judd became emotional while discussing family members who have died by suicide.
While appearing on All There Is With Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Jan. 10, Judd reflected on the loss of her mother, Naomi Judd. The country music legend died by suicide on April 30, 2022, at the age of 76. Cooper then spoke about his brother, Carter, who died by suicide when he was 23 years old.
The discussion caused both Anderson Cooper and Ashley Judd to break down in tears. “I’m here Anderson,” Judd said. Cooper also said that one of the things that he’s found so hard about losing his brother to suicide is that he gets stuck in how his life ended as well as his shock over Carter’s death.
“And my realization that I didn’t really know him,” Cooper continued. Judd pointed out that her mother’s passing was both traumatic and unexpected. “Because it was death by suicide and I found her,” she disclosed.
Ashley Judd then told Anderson Cooper that while she was shocked at the discovery of her mother’s body, she was glad to be the one to find her. “Even when I walked into that room and I saw that she had harmed herself, the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Momma, I see how much you’ve been suffering and it is OK… I am here, and it is OK to let go.’”
Ashley Judd Tells Anderson Cooper Her Mother Is Now in the ‘Vastness of Consciousness in the Mind of God’
Meanwhile, Ashley Judd revealed where she thinks her mother is. She told Anderson Cooper that the country star is now in the “vastness consciousness in the mind of God.”
“All of these mysteries which just made her daydream are now where her spirit resides,” she explained. The actress recalled how her mother would always be there for her, even when she was struggling mentally.
“Invariably, she got up,” Ashley Judd shared with Anderson Cooper. “No matter how sick she was. And she would light up. And she would come back to the door and open it.”
Judd went on to add that her mother would always be happy to see her. “She would exclaim, ‘There’s my darling, there’s my girl, there’s my baby!’ And that’s how I see my mom.”
To celebrate her mother’s accomplishments, Ashley Judd, alongside her sister Wynonna, came together for the broadcasted special Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration. Among those who performed were Bono, Oprah, Reba McEntire, and Brad Paisley.