Kriti Mehrotra
With Lifetime’s Alexandra Dean-directed ‘The Judd Family: Truth Be Told’ living up to its title in every way conceivable, we get a documentary series that can only be described as poignant. That’s because it incorporates not just exclusive archival footage but also interviews to really shine a light upon the complex life led by country star Naomi Judd and her two daughters, Wynonna and Ashley. The truth is, the singer’s eldest daughter, in particular, endured a lot more trauma in the sense that she always felt like she didn’t belong to her family growing up, only to find out as an adult that the man she believed to be her father was not her biological father.
Charles Jordan and Naomi Judd Were Mere Kids When They First Got Involved
Since Naomi Judd was born as Diana Ellen Judd, that’s how Charles Michael “Mike” Jordan knew her back in the early 1960s in Ashland, Kentucky, when she was a teenager and he was a year ahead of her. According to reports, they first came across one another at school, shortly following which they began to know each other and even developed a true romantic connection. Diana’s mother reportedly wasn’t happy about their bond in any way, shape, or form, so she actually used to go as far as to lie and have her friends sneak her out just so she and Charles could spend time together.
In fact, deep in love, Diana and Charles even attended prom together, not long after which the teenager found out that their one night of passion around this time had resulted in her falling pregnant. She did tell him, and while no one can positively assert what he felt about it, there was allegedly so much pressure on him to move forward that he enlisted in the Navy as soon as he graduated from high school. So, he left Diani all alone, driving her to settle down with Michael Ciminella after being kicked out of her own home for getting pregnant out of wedlock at age 17. As per reports, Diana/Naomi once tried to pass off her bond with Charles as just a one-night thing, but the truth of their romance eventually came to light.
Wynonna Judd Never Personally Got to Know Charles Jordan
As per records, it was in the 1990s that Wynonna came to know the truth about her relationship with Michael Ciminella and Charles Jordan, which aroused some mixed feelings in her. On one side, she was relieved because a lot of things about her childhood finally made sense to her, but on the other, she was angry at her mother for having lied to her for most of her life. According to her own accounts, growing up in the Ciminella household, she always felt as if the man she considered her father did not like her or even care for her the way he did her sister Ashley, so learning the truth made sense.
As for Wynonna’s anger towards her mother, she understood why she did what she did to provide her with a stable household, but it still hurt her because she didn’t know where she came from. Then, as adults, neither Charles nor Wynonna ever reached out to one another owing to some worries they both harbored. While the latter wasn’t sure if they would even get along or manage to build a relationship, she believes he felt as if it would be better if he stayed away since she had already managed to build a great career for herself as a country artist. Nevertheless, she eventually decided to throw caution to the wind and get to know him one-on-one, in person, but alas, it was too late.
Charles Jordan Passed Away in 2000
Not long after Wynonna had decided to meet her biological father, she heard the news that he had passed away. According to reports, he died on August 10, 2000, at his home in Louisa, Kentucky, near the West Virginia border – he was 55 at the time. His cause of death has never been made public, and neither have any other personal details regarding his personal or professional experiences. He was laid to rest a few days later at Pine Hill Cemetery in the city, but the singer did not attend his funeral services because she didn’t want to suddenly impose on his family. It was only later that she found out that a trailer he owned was full of posters and newsclippings of The Judds, her and her mother’s country duo, making it clear that while he never knew her, he definitely cared for her.
Read More: Naomi Judd’s Parents: Who Were They? What Happened to Them?
