Ashley Judd's Shocking Memoir Reveals Past Filled With Abuse, Drugs

By Kelly Fisher Posted Apr 5th 2011 09:20AM

Actress Ashley Judd's new memoir sheds light on her shocking past, which includes growing up in a drug-fueled environment and suffering sexual abuse as a child, RadarOnline.com reports.

Judd's book, 'All That Is Bitter & Sweet,' was released today, and the actress reveals some shocking secrets about the country-singing family in the book.

"My mother, while she was transforming herself into the country legend Naomi Judd, created an origin myth for the Judds that did not match my reality," she writes.

"She and my sister [Wynonna] have been quoted as saying that our family put the 'fun' in dysfunction. I wondered: 'Who, exactly, was having all the fun? What was I missing?'"

From revealing lies her mother told about about Wynonna's real father to allegations of child neglect, Judd doesn't hold much back in her shocking book.

"I was taught to believe that our lifestyle was normal and never to question it or complain, even when I was left alone for hours, sometimes days at a time, or when I was passed without warning to yet another relative," she writes, adding that "there was always marijuana inside the house" and her father, Michael Ciminella, "was prone to taking hallucinogenics with friends on Saturday nights."

Judd also recalls a painful memory of being sexually abused as a child.

"An old man everyone knew beckoned me into a dark, empty corner of the business and offered me a quarter for the pinball machine at the pizza place if I'd sit on his lap," Judd writes. "He opened his arms, I climbed up, and I was shocked when he suddenly cinched his arms around me, squeezing me and smothering my mouth with his, jabbing his tongue deep into my mouth."

The abuse she suffered led to a deep depression, which also stemmed from her relationship with her mother.

"I loved my mother, but at the same time I dreaded the mayhem and uncertainty that followed her everywhere," Judd writes. "I often felt like an outsider observing my mom's life as she followed her own dreams."

Comments

(106)

Tuesday 05 April

By Malin

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Until you have walked in her shoes, will you know the pain and hurt. Yes, It happen to me and now me and my mother do not speak. Instead of helping me she wanted to sweep it under the rug. Ashley is a celebrity and she speaks for all of us who will not be able to write a book. It happens more than anyone will ever know. I am sure her mother hoped she would get over it. I am 55 and it has been 50 years. YOU NEVER GET OVER IT!!

Thursday 28 April

By Jane

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

It is taking a lifetime for Ashley to heal. The book is part of the healing. And, there are some important messages here. You don't leave your children unsupervised or in unsafe places with dangerous people in the pursuit of a career...of any kind. You should not knowingly leave your child in harmful situations. Talk to your children. Listen to your children. The scars of abuse do not always heal. Ashley is extremely intelligent and she had done a lot of work to gain strength, wisdom, and understanding. It is hard to live with lies when you were hurt by the lies. Adults need to take responsibility for their mistakes, and children do need to determine if the parents did the best they could, or did they just not care....there is a big difference, and the healing work is different.

By Allan

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

The same bait and switch was done on America by the Liberal smokescreen created to get Barack Hussein Obama elected. After 2 years we don't need a book to tell us he's about as smart as a bag of hammers and everything he has said was a lie. Same thing with his wife, The media has been telling us how beautiful she is for 2 years but there is not a big enough smokescreen to pull that one off.

By Oops

Someone's a little obsessed with the Obamas!

By Shelle

What does that have to do with what is being discussed here?

By Joe

You're an Idiot

By busymissnanci

Allan......This discourse is not about the Obamas. Even if you do not like and/or agree with the man, respect the office, and enough with all the mean stuff, already. There is enough meanness in the world without our creating more to feed the monster.

By kittylit

Allan, you just cannot bear the thought of a Black Democrat running the United States! I'm laughing at you.

By susan

Is Barbara Bush more your type. You are an idiot

By Della

Susan and Kittylit: You are just as guilty and further fanning the flames. Why are you dragging Barbara Bush and race into this? When you are pointing your finger, look in the mirror and see who you are really pointing at. Two wrongs do not make a right. Now get back on the subject and stop dragging other people in the discussion when the news article is not about them.

By u8meb42im

Hey Allan, only another 6 years, you'll make it.

By sensiu

Vote down Vote up Report this

shut up already....can't you even stay on task here...do you suffer from ADD?

By Dave

Sounds like a "dumbed down" nutty tea-bagger to me.

By Jeanne

Allan, that's a lot of sour grapes you've got goin' on. We've got a non-white president...deal with it.

By cwebsterk

at least President Obama was ELECTED...which is more than can be said for our last "president."

By karen

whaaa...?

Wednesday 06 April

By TRUTHER

How dare you say something bad about a pathetic BLACK lame duck president. It will take a lot of liberty to wash the bad taste of this AFIRMATIVE ACTION MISTAKE out of our mouths. He should have just shown up at the door of the surgery room and said I WANT TO OPERATE! IM BLACK AND YOU HAVE TO LET ME! While so many drown in his profound, blind STUPIDITY. Seeing the morons still following him is truly sickening. But... GOD BLESS AMERICA, for allowing you all to have your brainless opinion. Heck... I sat in that church fo 12 years and never heard no America HATEIN... YA RIGHT! You LIAR!

By Victoria

Ashley should write a book about her life. Her mother is such a fake. Tell us the whole truth Ashley. Go for it.

This makes my heart hurt. Many of us suffered abuse as children, but she's a big girl now, and I cannot understand her need to further hurt her Mother, who was probably doing the best that she could do at the time. As parents, we are not infallible, and do not always make the smartest, or best, decisions. Ashley is a gorgeous woman who has enjoyed great success, and has an apparently successful marriage. Dragging up all these ugly things will, in no way, enhance what she enjoys today. Perhaps a little forgiveness, and a little discretion might start the healing process, although it doesn't appear to me that she is looking for that, but rather the shock value, in order to sell books. I don't think there is enough money to make me want to reveal the horror of my childhood. Of course, no one has offered me the money yet, so.....I'd best not judge her motives. I think I will just wish her well, and send up a prayer for all of them.

By Jean Murray

Miss Nanci,
This child was raised by parents and others who did not love her.
I know how much anger this generates and how difficult it is to find a place to put it. Better a book than suicide.

Page 2 of 6