What happened to Naomi Judd? Tributes pour in as The Judds star passes away at 76

The Judds matriarch Naomi Judd passed away at the age of 76. News of her tragic demise was announced in a joint statement by her daughters Wynonna and Ashley.

The sisters took to Instagram to share that they lost their mother due to the "disease of mental illness" and are "shattered" by her tragic passing. They also mentioned that Judd's death left them in an "unknown territory."

Although no exact cause of Judd's death was provided, the country music legend has been vocal about her struggles with depression and anxiety in recent years.

In her River of Time memoir, the musician shared that she unknowingly contracted hepatitis C during her time as a nurse. However, she was entirely cured by 1995.

In her memoir, Judd also opened up about the feeling of identity loss after returning from a 2010 Judds reunion tour. She said she isolated herself while dealing with crippling panic attacks.

The singer also revealed that she dealt with trauma from childhood abuse and had to be admitted to a psychiatric ward for an outpatient treatment program.

Judd's sudden demise comes days before The Judds' appearance as inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame ceremony.

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Twitter mourns the loss of Naomi Judd

Heartfelt tributes poured in online following the loss of Naomi Judd (Image via Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Naomi Judd was undoubtedly one of the most prominent artists in the country music industry. She rose to fame as part of the highly successful mother-daughter music duo The Judds and spent eight consecutive years reigning in the country music scene.

The duo earned five Grammy Awards alongside numerous other accolades, including 20 top-10 hits (15 at number one). Judd also won a Grammy as a songwriter for country song of the year for Love Can Build a Bridge.

The news of Judd's tragic demise left the country music world in shock, including her fans and fellow musicians. Several people also took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the musician:

As tributes continue to pour in online, Judd will inevitably be missed by her family, friends, fans, colleagues and admirers. However, contemporaries and future generations will always cherish her legacy.