Naomi Judd’s widower, Larry Strickland, has confirmed she shot at him when she learned he had cheated on her.
Naomi Judd’s widower has confirmed she shot at him when she learned he had cheated on her.
The late country star – who took her own life three years ago at the age of 76 – married Larry Strickland in 1989 after a decade of dating and a new two-part docuseries, ‘The Judd Family: Truth Be Told’ chronicles their ups and downs, including the shocking incident.
In a voiceover from her 1993 memoir ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’, Naomi recalled how she and Larry, now 79, were “wildly, madly, passionately in love” but he was never home, and she told how a woman called their Nashville home in the 1980s saying how much she “loved and missed” the gospel singer.
The docuseries saw Larry rewatch a scene from the TV movie based on his late wife’s memoir, in which the ‘River of Time’ singer – who was played by Kathleen York – took a shot at her spouse, who was played by Bruce Greenwood, after learning of his infidelity.
Larry said afterwards: “Well, it really happened. That’s all I can say. That’s all I’m gonna say. It happened.”
Larry previously told of how he was constantly with Naomi in the later years of her life.
He told People magazine: “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.”
He also told of how Naomi’s death has “forced” her daughters Wynonna and Ashley to “come together”.
He said: “They were forced together.
“We all had to come together around this trauma, this tragic event. And it, of course, opened our eyes about how short life can be and how fleeting.
“Realising that we lost a wife and mother, it forced us to be together, whether we wanted to or not.”
Larry – who insisted he was “always” close to his late wife’s daughters in some way – revealed he has also grown “closer” to them after his wife’s death.
He added: “It just really drove me closer to them because they’re what’s left of [Naomi].
“We were close, I think, always in the early years and later years, but the fact that Naomi’s gone and Wynonna and Ashley are the main part of her that’s left, and it’s what’s still here for me to cling to and have in my life.”
Naomi Judd’s widower confirms she tried to shoot him after uncovering infidelity
