Ruling on Naomi Judd Death Probe Sees a 180

Tenn. Supreme Court vacates ruling mandating cops release records, kicks it back to lower court
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 26, 2022 2:00 AM CDT
Updated Oct 1, 2022 10:45 AM CDT

Update: Tennessee's Supreme Court has vacated a ruling that would have mandated that police publicly release records regarding their probe into the death of country singer Naomi Judd, who died of suicide in April at the age of 76. The AP reports that the state high court's decision didn't rule on whether the records could be released, but instead kicked the case back to the Williamson County Chancery Court, noting the case needed a more comprehensive hearing on what records should be public and which ones should be kept private. Judd's family has been pressing to keep the investigation out of the public eye. Per RadarOnline.com, a private audio tape of Judd recorded shortly before she died is among the items her family wants to block from being released. Our original story from Sunday follows:

In her first TV interview since her mother's death, Wynonna Judd told CBS News she is still "incredibly angry" about Naomi Judd's suicide. Asked by Sunday Morning correspondent Lee Cowan if she thought that feeling would ever vanish, Judd replied, "No, I don't think so, not for a while. And I'll let you know." As USA Today reports, the Judd family is asking a court to block the release of investigative interviews conducted after Naomi Judd's death, which outlets including a newspaper that is part of the USA Today Network are seeking, because they say such a release would cause "significant trauma and irreparable harm."

But in the interview with CBS, Wynonna did open up a bit about her mom's mental health prior to her suicide, Yahoo News reports. "I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it," she said. "Because she had had episodes before and she got better. And that's what I live in, is like, 'Was there anything I should have looked for or should I have known?' I didn't." She also said she had an "incredibly complicated" relationship with her mom, noting that she sometimes thinks, "I really miss you. Why aren't you here so we can argue?" The two performed together as the Judds, and had just announced what was to be their final reunion tour before Naomi died. Wynonna is starting that tour Friday, with guest appearances from a number of big country stars. (More Wynonna Judd stories.)

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