Wynonna Judd didn’t find out who her real dad was until she turned 30, and it completely shook her world.
For most of her life, she believed Naomi Judd’s first husband, Michael Ciminella, was her dad. But the truth came out much later, and it changed everything she thought she knew about her past. The country singer got real about it all in the new Lifetime docuseries The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, where she revealed how deep the confusion and pain went.
According to Wynonna, she always sensed something was off. “I knew that Michael didn’t like me and Mom didn’t really love him,” she admitted. It wasn’t until her mom, Naomi, opened up that the pieces started to come together. Naomi confessed she was only 16 when Wynonna’s actual biological father, Charles Jordan, came over and took advantage of her. Despite marrying Michael shortly after at 17 while pregnant, Naomi later told her daughter she’d loved Charlie, but their relationship fizzled out. That secret stayed buried for decades.
Wynonna said she was furious when she found out the truth. She believed Naomi keeping her father’s identity hidden sparked a lot of the tension between them. “I was really angry with her about it,” she said. “I was so devastated that I thought there was a part of me that was missing.” That missing piece? It was Charles Jordan, a man Wynonna never got to meet. He passed away in 2000 at the age of 56.
Even though they never connected, Wynonna believes Charlie knew about her but didn’t feel like he had a place in her life. “I guess he didn’t feel he was worthy,” she said. “Like, ‘Wynonna’s got this life, and I can’t just show up in it.’” And while she admits fear held her back from reaching out, wondering what if he was a jerk or what if they didn’t connect, by the time she was finally ready, it was too late. She didn’t even go to his funeral, saying it would’ve been “too much” for his family.
The whole experience gave her a deeper understanding of her mother’s behavior. Wynonna thinks Naomi feared the part of her that came from Charlie. “She couldn’t control it,” she said. “That’s why Mom was very hard on me.”
Naomi Judd tragically died by suicide in April 2022 at 76. Her complicated relationship with Wynonna, and the secret of Wynonna’s real father, added a lot of emotional weight that never got resolved. For Wynonna, learning the truth brought some clarity, but also a ton of heartache she’s still processing.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
