Naomi Judd dealing with bipolar disorder when she died by suicide, autopsy says

Grammy-winning country musician Naomi Judd was struggling with bipolar disorder when she shot herself and died at her home in Tennessee earlier this year, according to a report released on Friday by the local medical examiner, and a statement from her family added that she was dealing with post-traumatic stress, too.

At the time of her death, Judd was preparing to embark on a nationwide arena tour with her other daughter, singer Wynonna. Naomi and Wynonna Judd together performed as the country duo known as the Judds, which had 14 No 1 hits and five Grammy wins over nearly three decades.

They were peaking professionally when doctors diagnosed Naomi with hepatitis in 1991. She stopped performing, and her mental state declined significantly, she recounted in a 2017 interview.

Before becoming a country music legend, Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky. She worked as a nurse when she and Wynonna began to sing together, attracting a devoted following through unique harmonies that blended acoustic music, bluegrass and blues.

Naomi Judd died a day before she and Wynonna were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Her survivors, besides her daughters, included her husband Larry Strickland, a backing singer for Elvis Presley.