Naomi Judd Once Shot at Husband After Learning He Cheated, Widower Reveals in Shocking New Docuseries

It’s been three years since country music legend Naomi Judd tragically died by suicide at the age of 76.

Her death in April 2022 sent shockwaves through the entertainment world and left her fans mourning a woman whose music and story had touched millions.

Now, Judd’s widower, Larry Strickland, is revealing a stunning and deeply personal moment from their past—one that sheds new light on the intensity and complexity of their decades-long relationship.

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In the Lifetime docuseries The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, which aired last weekend, Strickland, now 79, confirmed that Judd once shot a gun at him after learning he had cheated on her.

It’s a revelation that has stunned many viewers, even longtime fans familiar with the ups and downs of Judd’s life.

#LarryStrickland Speaks Out on His Late Wife #NaomiJudd’s Struggles With Mental Health

Larry Strickland, the husband of late country music singer-songwriter Naomi Judd, is speaking out about The Judds member’s lengthy battle with depression and anxiety. pic.twitter.com/MrGuUrXant

— Daily Music Roll (@dailymuzicroll) December 15, 2022

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The incident came to light during a segment that featured a scene from the 1995 television movie Love Can Build a Bridge, a dramatized biopic based on Judd’s 1993 memoir of the same name.

In the film, actress Kathleen York—playing Judd—confronts Bruce Greenwood’s character—Strickland—after discovering his infidelity.

In a dramatic moment, York’s Judd pulls out a gun and fires at her unfaithful husband.

When Strickland was shown the scene during the docuseries, he quietly confirmed its accuracy.

“Well, it really happened,” he said. “That’s all I can say. That’s all I’m gonna say. It happened.”

The backstory of this explosive moment dates back to the 1980s, when Judd and Strickland were in the early years of their relationship.

Though they were “wildly, madly, passionately in love,” as Judd described in her memoir, Strickland was often away from home.

The country music singer Naomi Judd passed away yesterday, and I was reminded today that Kathleen York (Andy in WW) actually played Naomi in a TV movie, alongside Elisabeth Moss as a young version of her daughter Ashley!

RIP! pic.twitter.com/3ubpZPlX9g

— Molly Lea (@mlea7675) May 1, 2022

One day, Judd received a phone call from a woman in the Northeast, who told her how much “she loved and missed” Strickland—an admission that quickly revealed the affair.

According to Judd’s account, she reacted by tearing up their photos, bagging his belongings, and hurling them into the yard.

The gunshot, later immortalized in the TV movie, was an even more visceral display of heartbreak and betrayal.

Despite this major rupture, the couple remained together. Judd and Strickland met in 1979 and married a decade later in 1989. Remarkably, they stayed married for 33 years, up until her death.

Their bond, while not perfect, endured some of the most painful trials imaginable—including Judd’s long battle with severe depression.

In December 2022, Strickland opened up to People magazine about the toll those final years had taken, and how deeply he had committed himself to caring for Judd as her mental health declined.

“For the past 13 years or more, I was with her 24/7,” he said.

“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 described those last months as “extremely hard,” recounting how Judd had become “really weak” and was seeing multiple therapists. The weight of her depression was a constant presence in their lives.

In the season finale of #ACMLiftingLives‘ acclaimed digital series The Check-In, Larry Strickland, husband of the late Country Music icon Naomi Judd, talks openly about his late wife’s mental health struggles leading up to her passing & his own personal mental health experiences. pic.twitter.com/wzuy9I9vMl

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) December 14, 2022

“It was a very chaotic, hectic, hectic time,” he said.

“It was extremely hard. She had several therapists that she was seeing, and her energy level had gotten really low.”

Strickland spoke movingly about the reality of living with someone battling depression—a reality that is too often hidden from public view.

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

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

These revelations offer a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the lives of two people who loved each other deeply but were also scarred by the trials of infidelity, mental illness, and fame.

For fans of Naomi Judd, the story is a painful reminder of how even the brightest lights can be shadowed by personal darkness.

As the Judd family continues to grieve and remember Naomi, the hope is that her story will spark greater compassion and understanding—not just for those who struggle with mental illness, but for the loved ones who stand beside them.

Please join us in keeping Naomi Judd’s family, especially Larry Strickland, in your thoughts and prayers.

Her legacy lives on through her music, her story, and the honesty with which those closest to her now share her truth.

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