The new documentary about the Judd family promised to dig deep into the full story behind mother-daughter duo The Judds and their complicated family relationships.
The film — which is called The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, and airing on Lifetime for the first time this weekend — delivers.
In one scene, Naomi Judd‘s widower Larry Strickland confirms that that his late wife once fired a gun at him.
“Well, it really happened,” he says (quote via People.) “That’s all I can say. That’s all I’m gonna say. It happened.”
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This point in the film came after a voiceover reading of a passage from Naomi’s 1993 memoir, Love Can Build a Bridge. In her book, Naomi wrote that Strickland was gone a lot during their three-decade-plus marriage, despite the fact that they were “wildly, madly, passionately in love.”
She also remembered a time during the 1980s when a woman “from the Northeast” called the couple’s Nashville-area home to say she “loved and missed” Strickland. Naomi says she tore of photos and bagged up some of her husband’s possessions to throw in the yard after she heard the call.
But in 1995, a made-for-TV movie about the Judds called Love Can Build a Bridge painted an even more dramatic picture of that incident. In once scene from the film, Naomi’s character (played by Kathleen York) shoots Strickland’s (Bruce Greenwood) after learning about his affair.
A scene in the new documentary shows Strickland re-watching that footage, before confirming that version of events.
- Naomi Judd married Larry Strickland on May 6, 1989. Both of her daughters, Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd, were bridesmaids in the ceremony.
- It was Naomi’s second marriage.
- She and Strickland were married until Naomi’s death in 2022.
- Naomi Judd died by suicide at the age of 76. Throughout her life, she was open about her struggles with mental health, including suicidal ideation.
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told Trailer:
Since Naomi Judd’s death at age 76, her daughters Wynonna and Ashley have been candid about her mental health struggles and their turbulent childhood. Fans caught glimpses of this when friction would spill over onto social media or traditional media. It looks like that’s the tone for this project as well.
TV clips spotlight the highs, but seemingly shadow the truth about life as a Judd. “It’s magical on stage,” Wynonna Judd begins, “but off stage (exhales).”
Ashley Judd appears willing to explore her difficult childhood. Previously, she’d shared some details of being molested at age 7. “My grandmother had two brothers who were predators,” an unidentified male voice says at the 40-second mark.
How to Watch the Judd Family Documentary
The new documentary about the Judd family is called The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, and it aired on May 10 at 8PM ET on Lifetime. Those who don’t have cable can stream the channel through services including Philo, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV.
Recent documentaries or shows inspired by real life that have aired on Lifetime include Confessions of Octomom, about Natalie Suleman, The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
The Judds Best Songs – Top 10 Hits From Wynonna and Naomi Judd
The Judds have 14 No. 1 songs and dominated Duo and Group of the Year awards at both the CMA and ACM Awards during the 1980s. They also recorded several dozen great songs that never made radio. Here are their Top 10 songs ever.
PICTURES: See Inside Naomi Judd’s Elegant Rural Estate
Naomi Judd’s rural estate has come up for rent, and it’s a home fit for a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
