From Actress to Activist: A Look At Ashley Judd's Journey In Hollywood
She’s a television and film actress who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Ashley Judd has a net worth of $14 million and has so many ups and downs in life, it may surprise some, she continues to push forward, fighting for worthy causes and hasn’t allowed the negative to define her. In fact, many would consider much of the actresses life tragic, yet Judd isn’t afraid to share her life with fans and isn’t afraid to show how one overcomes the obstacles that seem impossible.
She’s an actress, and advocate and an activist in a variety of roles throughout life and it doesn’t appear Judd will sit down anytime soon.
7 The Family Tree
Born in 1968 as Ashley Tyler Ciminella, Judd was raised by country singer Naomi Judd and Judd’s first husband, businessman Michael Ciminella. For decades Judd’s older sister and country star Wynonna believed Ciminella was her father as well, until learning in the early 1990’s an ex-boyfriend of Naomi’s, Charles Jordan was her biological father, making Ashley and Wynonna half-sisters.
6 An Unlikely Childhood
According to Grunge, Judd wrote a memoir, “All That is Bitter and Sweet”, detailing the abuse she suffered at the hands of several men. As her mother and sister traveled the country, trying to make it in the music business, Judd said something would suffer due to the pressure and it was her childhood. She attended more than a dozen schools as the family moved around and Judd was left feeling lonely and neglected.
After graduating college, Judd moved to Hollywood, where she studied under acting teacher Robert Carnegie at Playhouse West, but ultimately, chose to return to Tennessee where she lived near her mother and sister.
5 Taking On Hollywood
Turning away from the music industry, Judd found herself landing roles in Hollywood. First, a few television spots like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Sisters. By the mid-90’s, Judd was starring in hit films such as Natural Born Killers (though her scenes were later cut), Someone Like You and A Time to Kill, alongside Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock and Samuel L. Jackson.
By the 2000’s, the actress was at the top of her game, co-starring in Kiss the Girls with Morgan Freeman and Double Jeopardy with Tommy Lee Jones.
4 Going On A Self-Healing
The Divergent star has been transparent about her battle with mental health and depression. In 2006, Judd shared that she had spent time in a rehabilitation center and continues to seek and refine treatment during rough periods of her life. Judd was extremely fond of her emotional support dog who has since passed away and shared with fans and family the trauma of losing such a close companion. She’s also been inflicted with severe migraines, causing her to often back out or take a leave of absence from commitments.
3 Facing A Serious Injury
In 2021, Judd was hospitalized after shattering her leg in four places while on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 55-hour ordeal left Judd lying on the ground for five hours, biting on a stick from the pain. It took an additional two days to get from the jungle to an operating table in South Africa. According to CNN, Judd was not sure she’d walk again, however, six months later she was announcing major milestones and she was able to walk for up to an hour at a time.
2 Saying Goodbyes
After the tragic suicide of her mother, Naomi, due to mental health illness, Judd said she has re-enrolled in trauma therapy to cope with the recent media coverage. Like Judd, her mother also suffered from anxiety and depression and it was Judd who discovered her mother with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Naomi had battled mental health issues throughout her life and passed one day before she and daughter, Wynonna, were inducted into the County Music Hall of Fame. Despite the ups and downs of family relationships, the Judd daughters have made it clear the impact of their loss and the united front they will continue to have in the future.
1 Becoming A Political Activist
In 2014, Judd considered running for U.S. Senate but later, backed out of the running after it was clear many didn’t think she was ready. Regardless of her political aspirations, it’s never stopped Judd from participating in humanitarian missions, women’s rights marches and currently, lobbying for a change to Tennessee law, limiting access to confidential records pertaining to non-criminal deaths.
Judd is also an antinatalist, sharing her opinion against having children when there are children across the world starving to death. In fact, the star has shared she is a three-time rape survivor, one of which resulted in pregnancy and she’s been vocal about various abortion laws passed across the country.
With a history of sexual abuse, Judd was one of the first to acknowledge the damage caused by Harvey Weinstein. According to Celebrity Net Worth, in 2018, she took her statements a step further by filing a defamation lawsuit against the now, guilty offender and was one of the main catalysts in the #MeToo movement. Judd claimed Weinstein hurt her career by spreading lies about her after she rejected his advances. In 2019, a federal judge dismissed Judd’s claim of sexual harassment against Weinstein but allowed her to pursue the defamation claim regarding her career.
Sources: Grunge, CNN, Celebrity Net Worth
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