Wynonna Judd addresses rumor she’s ‘fighting’ sister Ashley about mom Naomi’s estate

Wynonna Judd is addressing rumors she’s locked in a bitter battle with hersister, Ashley Judd, about their mom Naomi Judd’s estate.

“Someone told me while I was at Ashley’s house, ‘Hey, did you know thatthey’re saying this about you?'” the Judds singer, 58, told people magazine.”I went, ‘Huh? I’m fighting with Ashley? Oh. Again?'”

So the rumors they are fighting are untrue? “Fighting over what?” she replied.”I have such a great life. Ashley has a great life. Why would we be fightingover the will?”

After her singing partner mom’s death by suicide in April, it was reportedthat Naomi cut Wynonna and Ashley out of her will. Naomi, who died at 76,appointed her husband of 33 years, Larry Strickland, as executor of her $25million estate with “full authority and discretion” over everything. Accordingto reports, Wynonna was “upset” at being excluded from the will, believing”she was a major force behind her and Naomi’s success.” A report in thetabloid star claimed the sisters were going “head-to-head” in a battle overthe estate.

Wynonna acknowledged to people that, yes, Strickland is the executor ofNaomi’s estate. But when he dies, she and her actress sister will then “split”the estate. She has no plans to contest the will.

“I am the last person in this family — and if Ashley was here, I’d hope she’dagree with me — who knows stuff like this,” she said. “I’m not savvy enough togo, ‘I’m going to contest the will.’ It never occurred to me.”

Besides, Naomi’s death has only made their bond deeper, said Wynonna of herhalf-sister. (Wynonna’a father is the late Charles Jordan while Ashley’s dadis Michael Ciminella.)

“I feel like we’re connected in a way that is so different because I’m anorphan,” she said. “Both my parents are gone, and I’m relying on Ashley… We’revulnerable with each other, and we’re tender. As sisters, we disagree on somuch. But when it comes to our mother, we both look at each other and go, ‘Shewas quite the character.'”

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However, Wynonna acknowledged that the sisters had points of estrangement intheir lives, “so we’ve missed out on a lot of time together.” They’ve used alife coach to help them work on their relationship.

“Ashley and I are very different people, and we are learning that we have morein common than we don’t,” she said. “We’ve been able to work the process ourlife coach has given us: communication, compromise and compassion. In mydisagreements with Ashley and Mom, I never gave up loving them, because I knewbehind all that, there was someplace to meet and connect upon. I tell people:Try to find something that you have in common. Ashley and I, when it all goesto hell, can play cards and get along.”

She added, “The relationship I have with my sister is the most powerful in mylife.”

After Naomi’s shocking death, Wynonna decided to continue with the tour motherand daughter had planned. Ashley joined her sister on stage this week in asweet moment. In an Instagram post, Ashley said they are “deeply united.”

“Our walk with our sibling is often our longest relationship in life. I amincandescently blessed that this women has been my sister all my life,” Ashleywrote on Instagram along with a video of them together on stage. “Deeplyunited after our mother’s painful death, we share grief and joy, poignancy andhope, and the absolute commitment to be of service to others. As during ourlong season of mourning we know ourselves and each other with greatertenderness and nuance, I am in awe of her vulnerability and power as she takesthe stage to channel her voice for connection…”

The siblings are also united in a battle to keep investigation reports aboutNaomi’s death sealed. It’s currently being kicked around in the courts, withTennessee’s state Supreme Court sending the case back to the lower ChanceryCourt for another hearing.

Ashley, who discovered Naomi — who battled mental illness — in the musiclegend’s final moments, has said the “trauma of discovering and then holdingher laboring body haunts my nights” in a plea to keep the investigation fileprivate. Among the information that could be released are interviews conductedby police with Ashley and others “when we were at our most vulnerable” andNaomi’s “profoundly intimate personal and medical information,” the DoubleJeopardy actress said in August.