News | Entertainment
13 Jun 2025 12:33
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Wynonna Judd only learned the identity of her biological father when she was 30

    The 60-year-old singer - who had a fraught relationship with her late mother, Naomi Judd - grew up believing her mom's first husband, Michael Ciminella, was her dad but found out the truth decades later


    Speaking on Lifetime docuseries 'The Judd Family: Truth Be Told', Wynonna said: "I knew that Michael didn't like me and Mom didn't really love him.

    "Mom told me, 'I was 16 and I was a virgin, I was home alone and [Wynonna's biological father] came over and took advantage of me.'"

    Naomi - who had married Michael when she was just 17 years old and pregnant with Wynonna - eventually told her daughter that she had loved the man, Charlie Jordan, but their relationship didn't work out.

    And Wynonna admitted she was "really angry" that the truth had been kept from her for so long, and she believes the secret sparked a lot of her mother's behaviour towards her.

    She said: "There was all this pressure and everybody kinda freaked out, and he went off to join the Army.

    "Look, I understand it, but I was really angry with her about it. I was so devastated that I thought there was a part of me that's missing. The glass is half empty.

    "Learning about my birth father, I feel more like him than I do my mother in certain areas. And I think Mom was terrified of that half of me because she couldn't control it. She couldn't bring it in and train it. That's why Mom was very hard on me."

    Charlie passed away in 2000 at the age of 56 but his daughter never met him and she believes he didn't feel "worthy" enough to be part of her life.

    She said: "My understanding is that Charlie knew about me and that he always felt like he couldn't do anything about it.

    "I guess he didn't feel he was worthy or whatever, like, 'Wynonna's got this life and I can't just show up in it.'

    "And for a while, I wasn't ready to go meet him. What if he's a jerk? What if we don't make a connection? What if, what if, what if? Fear, fear, fear. But when I finally decided to, it was too late."

    Wynonna decided not to go to Charlie's funeral because she felt it would be "too much" for his family.

    Naomi took her own life in April 2022 at the age of 76.

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     13 Jun: Ronnie Wood has led the tributes to Brian Wilson
     13 Jun: Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of a historic sex crime
     13 Jun: Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82
     13 Jun: Orlando Bloom has revealed Bryce Dallas Howard taught his daughter to paint
     13 Jun: Sarah Jessica Parker has started refusing to take selfies with fans when she's out in public
     13 Jun: Blake Lively's sibling Robyn will always be "proud" of her
     13 Jun: Lizzie McGuire star Jake Thomas thinks the cancelled reboot was hurt by "bad timing"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    AAP_Distribution a0046 ds ----- More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    A 50-million-dollar capital raise to fund a major expansion to a private hospital in Christchurch, has been over-subscribed by 30 percent, and closed within weeks More...



     Today's News

    International:
    Air India plane crash kills 241, marking worst aviation disaster in a decade 12:16

    Cricket:
    Australia are 144 for eight in their second innings, a lead of 218 heading into the third day of the World Test Championship cricket final against South Africa at Lord's 12:06

    Entertainment:
    Ronnie Wood has led the tributes to Brian Wilson 12:05

    Motoring:
    Former Formula One driver Brendon Hartley's relishing the quality of competition heading into this weekend's Le Mans 24-hour endurance race 11:56

    Living & Travel:
    Rain has spoiled the party at Mount Hutt this morning 11:36

    Entertainment:
    Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of a historic sex crime 11:35

    National:
    Remembering Frederick Forsyth: my encounters with the spy who stayed out in the cold 11:16

    Motoring:
    F1 Canadian Grand Prix: What time, how to watch, and Max Verstappen flirts with race ban 11:16

    Law and Order:
    Police are investigating a smouldering property in Auckland's Bucklands Beach, after revelations it's a cannabis grow house 11:06

    Entertainment:
    Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82 11:05


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd