Naomi Judd’s family is asking a judge to seal police reports and recordings during an investigation into the death of the legendary country singer.
The family’s legal team filed a petition provided to the Associated Press in Williamson County Court on Friday, saying that, if the police reports and recordings are made available to the public, it would bring “significant trauma and irreparable harm.” family.
Some of the other reasons why the family does not want the records released include that disclosing the report would expose the medical records and interactions of family members with the police during the investigation.
In a statement submitted with the petition, Naomi’s widow Larry Strickland said she was not aware that her interviews with police were being recorded, and that she shared personal and private information to assist the police.
Ashley Judd also gave a statement, in which she said she was in “clinical shock, active trauma and acute distress” during her interactions with police. She said she does not want the video, audio and photos to remain in the public domain permanently, and that it will haunt her family for generations, the AP reported.
Also in the petition — filed on behalf of Strickland, Ashley and Winona Judd — details that Ashley found her mother alive after shooting herself, according to the AP. The filing shows that Ashley stayed with her mother for half an hour before help arrived.
According to the petition, several media outlets in Tennessee have already filed public records requests related to the investigation into Naomi’s death. The petition, filed on behalf of the family, was provided to the Associated Press by a representative of the family with the permission of the family.
Naomi, one of the Grammy-winning country duo The Judds, died on April 30, a day before The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was 76 years old.
Ashley later released a statement saying, “We lost our beautiful mother to a mental illness.” Two weeks later, during a pre-taped interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Ashley revealed the cause of death.
“She used a weapon… my mom used a shotgun,” Ashley said. “So this is a piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we are in a position that if we don’t say it, someone else is going.”
The actress said she wanted to be the one to confirm the news before it went public “without our control”.
Recalling her mom’s last day, Ashley explained, “It was a mixed day. When I’m at home in Tennessee I go with my mom and pop every day, so I’m at home like every day.” Mother said to me, ‘Will you stay with me?’ And I said, ‘Of course I will’… I went upstairs to tell her that her good friend was there and I found her. Finding her hurts me both.