‘The Judd Family: Truth Be Told’ Director Shares What Broke Her Heart Most in New Documentary (Exclusive)
Love can certainly build a bridge, and the Judd family shared that story through their music, triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies. When the Judds’ matriarch, Naomi, died by suicide in April of 2022, fans truly grieved with them. Their complex story of generational trauma and the strength of familial bonds is shared in Lifetime’s four-part documentary, The Judd Family: Truth Be Told (airing Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11 on Lifetime), which features exclusive interviews with Wynonna and Ashley Judd, Naomi’s widower Larry Strickland, and dearest friend and neighbor Reba McEntire, as well as rare family footage and photos, unreleased songs, and voicemails that the Judd women left for one another. Director Alexandra Dean (Secrets of Playboy) shares with us her insights on the project.
Warning: The following post contains discussions of suicide.
What went into getting this doc off the ground? How difficult was it to get the extremely private Wynonna and Ashley to participate? How long has this been in the making? What pushed you to want to share their story?
Alexandra Dean: I wanted to tell this story because the Judd family is so unique and yet intensely relatable. I’ve followed Ashley’s film career since I was a little girl right up through her courageous stand during the #MeToo movement and always wanted to interview her. Wynonna and Naomi have sung some of my favorite songs of all time (“Love Can Build a Bridge” and “Child of the Light,” which is in the film). They’re three extraordinary women and yet every woman in America can relate to them. Who wouldn’t want to do this documentary?
Wynonna and Ashley both took a long time to decide to participate because they wanted to be sure that this would be the right representation of their mother’s life. Both were concerned that her story be told in its full complexity with honesty and fairness. They are very different but each one has strong gifts when it comes to storytelling — Ashley is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful women I’ve ever met, truly; and Wynonna matches her sister’s intellect with her quick wit and frank humor. Both have great compassion for their mother, which is balanced by a clear-eyed evaluation of the truth. Hearing Naomi’s story from them has been a remarkable experience.
(L to R) Michael Ciminella (Ashley’s father), Naomi, Ashley and Wynonna Judd. Courtesy A&E Television Networks, LLC.
Could you give us some perspective on how much footage there was and how much time it took to gather all of this? How agonizing was it to cull this down to just four hours?
We filmed many, many more hours of footage than l could fit into the four hours, and it was very painful to cut it down. At one point I even asked if we could expand the series to five hours. In the end, however, I’m glad we opted for the shorter version because it goes at a great pace. Sadly, that does mean we had to trim out a lot of really beautiful stories about Ashley and Wy visiting their family in Kentucky growing up. It really hurt to cut out stories that revealed where a lot of the inspiration for Wy’s music was born. For those who want to see that, we will post some of those stories in the form of mini episodes you can stream from the website.
Courtesy A&E Television Networks, LLC.
The Judd family’s battles with depression, body image, poverty, sexual assault and estrangement are all such heavy topics. And Naomi’s death by suicide, and writing her girls out of her will, was devastating. What broke your heart learning about and/or hearing a particular story? How much tissue should we be prepared with?
Definitely get your tissue box ready, because the Judd family lived through intense poverty and truly struggled, but also get ready to smile because we lean into some of the wonder and joy of their early years as well. During filming we even captured the discovery of an early tape made by Naomi and Wy before they were famous. It was hidden in a pile of knickknacks among Naomi’s old belongings and includes never-before-heard songs, which will be a revelation for fans. We also hear their young voices as they make up a radio play and sing a mountain yodel … we see Wy and Ashley listen as their younger selves laugh and play, and it feels like we grow up with them and start to understand them intimately. By the time they are older and have a wrestle with some of the issues you list above, we really grasp their struggles in their proper context. We see the root cause of everything that happens, both the light and dark.
(L to R) Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. Courtesy A&E Television Networks, LLC.
The Judds’ love for one another and career accomplishments are legendary. Share one of your personal favorite stories about their unique mother-daughter relationship — something that makes you smile sharing with viewers?
I love the story that Wy was the only person Naomi trusted to do her hair before every performance, even when they were both very famous and should have been able to employ an army of hairdressers. It’s kind of funny to think about Wy, already mega well known, having to get out the curling iron and get Mom ready to go onstage (Naomi would do Wy’s hair, too), but it also shows how much Naomi leaned on Wy and craved closeness with her. As for Ashley, I really loved hearing about the later years when she and Naomi and Larry would sing together while driving through the hills of Kentucky; I just liked the idea of Ashley getting her chance to sing with Mom, too.
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told airs Saturday, May 10 & Sunday, May 11 at 8pm ET on Lifetime
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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