Naomi Judd had once shot a gun at her husband Larry Strickland upon discovering that he had an affair.
Strickland, 79, confirmed the incident on the Lifetime documentary series The Judd Family: Truth Be Told which began airing on Saturday.
The late songstress – who had been a part for the Grammy-winning duo The Judds with daughter Wynonna – tragically died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 76.
During the second episode of the docuseries, the topic of their marriage came up. Naomi first met Larry in 1979 and they tied the knot 10 years later. The pair remained married until her passing.
In the star’s 1993 memoir Love Can Build A Bridge, Judd remembered when a woman called their home to say she ‘loved and missed’ Strickland. The singer proceeded to rip up pictures of them together and tossed her husband’s belongings into their yard.
And in a TV film based on the book, a scene showed Naomi also shooting a gun at Strickland as she emotionally accused him of cheating on her.
‘Well, it really happened, that’s all I can say,’ Larry confirmed in Saturday’s episode. ‘That’s all I’m gonna say. It happened.’
Naomi Judd had once shot a gun at her husband Larry Strickland upon discovering that he had an affair; late singer seen with Strickland in 2004
The late songstress – who had been a part for the Grammy-winning duo The Judds with daughter Wynonna – tragically died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 76; seen in 2016 in NYC
Naomi’s other daughter Ashley Judd also briefly recalled the moment in the docuseries.
‘Oh, it was hell. I heard everything,’ the Double Jeopardy actress said. ‘I heard Mom’s phone calls to him on the road, I heard them fight, I heard them not fight, I heard it all.’
At the time of the singer’s death, Naomi and Larry had been married for 33 years.
She previously tied the knot with a high school classmate Michael Ciminella in 1964 when she was pregnant with daughter Wynonna. However, the father had been a man named Charles Jordan.
The country music artist later welcomed Ashley with Michael – but he later abandoned Naomi as well as her two daughters in 1972.
And then in 1979, she met Strickland who was also no stranger to the entertainment business and had been a backup singer for Elvis Presley.
During an interview with People in 2022, Larry got candid about the months leading up to her death and expressed that it was a ‘very chaotic, hectic, hectic time.’
He added, ‘It was extremely hard. She was getting really weak.’
In the star’s 1993 memoir Love Can Build A Bridge, Judd remembered when a woman called their home to say she ‘loved and missed’ Strickland; seen in 1993 holding her memoir in NYC
‘Well, it really happened, that’s all I can say,’ Larry confirmed in Saturday’s episode. ‘That’s all I’m gonna say. It happened’
Larry explained that if he had known how badly Judd had been suffering, he would have ‘been much softer on her.’
‘I would’ve been gentler and more understanding instead of tired and exhausted because it was wearing me out, too.’
He added, ‘To know now that she was contemplating [suicide], I look back and just wish I had been holding her and comforting her instead of pushing her. I don’t know if that would’ve helped, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt.’
Strickland further stated, ‘For the past 13 years or more, I was with her 24/7. I never left the house without Naomi knowing where I was going and when I would be back.
‘As far as taking care of myself, I’m not sure that fits my situation. When you have a mate that has a mental illness, you walk that path with them.’
While talking to Today in 2017, Naomi had discussed her battle with depression and said it came ‘out of nowhere.’
She remembered, ‘I was so depressed that I couldn’t move. I wouldn’t even brush my teeth. I wouldn’t get out of my PJs.
‘My husband and my girlfriends and Ashley would come over and I would just go upstairs and lock the door to my bedroom…You become immobilized.’
During an interview with People in 2022, Larry got candid about the months leading up to her death and expressed that it was a ‘very chaotic, hectic, hectic time’; seen in 1999 in NYC
