Trigger Warning: This article discusses suicide and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Ashley Judd’s illustrious career cemented her status as one of the most recognisable actresses from the 90s and 2000s. Starring in some of the most iconic thrillers, particularly our favourite Double Jeopardy.
Looking at her career timeline, it’s difficult to believe Ashley ever stepped back from Hollywood to focus on healing. But the number of productions she was tied to began to dwindle.
But Ashley’s name was thrown into headlines once more after accusing Harvey Weinstein in 2017.
With a screen separating viewers from Ashley, she seemed untouchable. But not even high profile people are protected. Something people around the globe discovered when Ashley became one of the first and most prominent actors to publicly accuse the movie mogul.
The incident, which she detailed on ABC with Diane Sawyer, occurred in 1997 for what Ashley thought was a breakfast meeting at Harvey’s hotel. Once in the room, Harvey pressured to give and receive massages, plus watch him shower. To exit, Ashley struck a deal.
“He just kept coming at me with all this other stuff. Finally, I just said ‘When I win an Oscar in one of your movies, OK?’,” she confessed, as per The Guardian. “He said ‘When you get nominated’. I said ‘No, when I win an Oscar’. And then I just fled.”
After which, Ashley was blacklisted from Hollywood. The sabotage against her career was confirmed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) when he revealed in an interview with Stuff that he didn’t cast Ashely at Harvey’s insistence.
Ashley later filed a lawsuit for sexual assault and defamation. The former was dismissed, however, she was allowed to sue for defamation.
This was one win in the fight for Ashley to reclaim power over her life. The other win came in May 2026 while celebrating her 58th birthday, celebrating her inner child.
The High Crimes actor had a difficult childhood, impacted by her complex relationship with her mum, Naomi who struggled with debilitating mental health.
Naomi, a popular country music star, battled with depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. Sadly, aged 76, Naomi took her own life in 2022. Ashley was present at the time, and recalled their final moments together on The Judd Family: Truth Be Told docuseries.
Ashley arrived at her mother’s home, who expressed that she “didn’t want to be here anymore.” After calming her mother down, Naomi headed upstairs. Later, Ashley followed her and discovered “that she had harmed herself.”
“The first thing I said to her was, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve seen how much you’ve been suffering.’ And we just breathed together, and I talked to her and told her how much I loved her, and it’s okay to go,” Ashley recalled.
“When she died, my most earnest wish was to make sure that she was relieved and absolved of her guilt and her shame. I was holding her hand. I was kissing her.”
Growing up, Ashley felt a lot of her needs were “unmet.” But as an adult, she is taking the time to restage those experiences with safety, attention, and love.
“On my 58th birthday, my inner 12-year-old was ready to receive love, care, attunement, delight, protection, and provision,” she wrote.
“Today, as adults, we can listen carefully to those missings, identify what happened that should not have happened — and, crucially, what did not happen that should have happened — supplying that, now, with love and humor to ourselves. I don’t remember any of my birthdays growing up.”
She remembers those little moments at school, learning how to square dance or discovering more about dinosaurs. But her home life was a different experience.
“There was no parent (or adult) supporting, nurturing, guiding and reinforcing my learning, delighting in, or protecting that little girl,” she confessed. “This past weekend, alongside sensitive, playful people who also relish carefree timelessness, we restaged my 12th birthday party. We backfilled what was always missing and no longer is, thanks to vulnerable imagination.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website OR Call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website.
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