TOO HARD TO HOLD ON

Country music legend Naomi Judd suffered from lifelong depression - and in the end it defeated her

- DENNIS CAVERNELIS

TO THE outside world they were hugely successful, rocking the country music world, winning at Hollywood, making a fortune. But behind the chart-toppers, the red carpets, and the awards lay a life that was anything but harmonious.

Abuse, poverty, addiction, death, and depression have haunted the Judd family for decades – and the latest tragic chapter in their long, sad story has just been written.

Naomi Judd, who formed the country duo The Judds with eldest daughter Wynonna and was also mother to actress Ashley, committed suicide recently after a long struggle with depression.

Naomi (76) and Wynonna (57) were due to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on 1 May but Naomi died the day before the event, leaving her daughters and fans devastated.

Wynonna and Ashley (54) went on to attend the Hall of Fame induction and battled to control their emotions.

“I’m unprepared to make a speech because I knew my mom would probably talk the most,” a tearful Wynonna said.

“I’m so sorry she couldn’t hang on until today,” a weeping Ashley added.

Naomi had been open about her depression and was an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide research.

“Think of your worst day of your whole life: someone passed away, you lost your job, you found out you were betrayed, that your child had a rare disease. You take all those things at once and put them together and that’s what depression feels like,” she once said.

“Nobody can understand it unless you’ve been there.”