Ashley Judd remembers ‘precious family member’ in emotional post

On November 3, actress Ashley Judd marked All Saints’ Day, also known as All Souls’ Day, by sharing a moving tribute to her late uncle, Mark Christopher Judd, who passed away earlier this year. In a video posted to Instagram, Ashley appeared still partly in her Halloween costume as she addressed the camera, saying, “I am celebrating All Saints’ Day today for my beloved Uncle Mark. Mark Christopher Judd, born June 28, 1950, whom we buried on the 20th of January this year, in 2025, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.”

She went on to reflect on their close bond: “Uncle Mark was my safe person from the time I was a child. He was only 18 when I was born, and we used to play in the dirt together with Nana’s spoons. And the last time Uncle Mark, Aunt Middy and I got together in person, it was the 19th of December. They always came down and I had a chocolate pie, Nana’s recipe.”

Ashley also shared how she and her uncle often went for long walks together, holding hands and talking. During one of those walks, shortly before his death, she recalled asking him, “Uncle Mark, is there a child still inside of you?” He sweetly replied, “Oh, yes. And we go back to school every September.”

The Lazareth actress praised her uncle’s openness and warmth, noting how he always spoke to her “like a peer.”

In her caption, Ashley wrote, “In the rhythm of the year, I paused this weekend to reminisce, remember, love, and appreciate my loved ones who passed through the thin place to the other side. This year, in particular, I remember my precious and beloved Uncle Mark.”

© Photo: Getty Images

Ashley’s family have had their share of tragedy in recent years, with her mother Naomi tragically dying by suicide in 2022. Naomi, a celebrated country singer, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. The autopsy report revealed Naomi’s struggles with significant anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

© Michael Loccisano

In a poignant recounting, Ashley expressed her feelings during those harrowing moments: “It was traumatic and unexpected because it was death by suicide and I found her,” she recounted on Wednesday’s episode of CNN’s All There Is with Anderson Cooper.

Despite the shock and grief, Ashley found solace in being present for her mother in those final moments. 

© Steve Granitz

“Even when I walked in that room and I saw that she had harmed herself, the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Momma, I see how much you’ve been suffering and it is okay… I am here, and it is okay to let go.'”

She also recounted encouraging her mother to find peace and forgiveness, telling her, “All was forgiven long ago, leave it all here. Take nothing, be free.”