Naomi Judd Earns Special Mention From Daughter Wynonna Judd at CMT Awards: 'I Don't Understand'

Wynonna Judd braved the 2023 CMT Awards stage and appeared without Naomi Judd by her side for the first time.

Before Naomi's death, the matriarch and Wynonna performed together during the 2022 CMT Awards and sang the duo's 1990 hit song, "Love Can Build a Bridge." Following Naomi's sudden passing on April 30, the daughter performed alongside Ashley McBryde instead.

Wynonna Judd Says Naomi Judd "Needed" To Be There

Wynonna made sure her late mother could still be part of her performance by giving her a shoutout mid-performance. She and McBryde made everyone emotional as they did a cover of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is."

The 58-year-old singer soon pointed up and said, "Mama, you need to be here. I miss you, and I love you, and I don't understand."

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The 2023 CMT Music Awards became the first time Wynonna performed without her mother.

Ahead of the performance, she told Entertainment Tonight that she planned to use her time and chance to talk to anyone who is struggling. She then referred to her appearance as a bittersweet time, saying that both agony and ecstasy were happening at the same time.

Although she found it hard to move on after her mother's death, she pushed herself to continue living and performing to honor her mother's legacy.

Naomi Judd's Death

Naomi Judd died months after her last CMT Awards performance and ahead of The Judd's final tour. She was also scheduled to appear with Wynonna at The Judds' Country Music Hall of Fame.

The late 76-year-old singer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after her long battle against mental health.

Naomi notably opened up about her mental health for the first time in her 2016 book, "River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope." She revealed that she experienced the worst after her tour since she was suppressing her memories related to child molestation.

Despite her struggles, insiders said she pledged not to kill herself as she did not want her grandson, Elijah, to investigate her death. He has been working at the Williamson County Sheriff's Office for the past years. A source said Judd told her friends that the only reason she had not shot herself yet was because of her grandson since she did not want him to find her "that way."

However, Naomi died "that way" in 2022.

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