Wynonna Judd was “so shocked” by Lisa Marie Presley’s death.
Judd, iconic country artist known for her music in the beloved mother-daughter duo The Judds (in addition to her solo work), opened up about losing Presley in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. Presley, the only child of Priscilla Presley and legendary artist Elvis Presley, died on January 12 after apparently suffering a cardiac arrest, shortly before her 55th birthday.
“I was so shocked, and it kicked my butt because she's 54 years old and I'm 58. And when you go through something like this, it's just bizarre. It's hard to comprehend,” Judd told ET. The “Love Can Build A Bridge” singer, who lost her mother and duo partner, Naomi Judd, last year, added: “I'm not one of those people that says, you know, I'm praying for you, or, you know, my prayers and my condolences, because I've been going through it myself. And it's so heavy. It's too heavy to talk about it right now. Maybe in some time, when we give it some time for things to settle. I just think, right now, I can't imagine what they're going through.
“I know what I went through,” Judd continued while speaking with ET. “And when people say stuff like, ‘They're in a better place.’ I don't want her to be in a better place. I want her to be here with me. That's selfish, but that's human response. So the human response for me is just love the ones you're with. Love the ones you're with. That and forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. That's on my list every single day.”
Judd took part in an outpouring of tributes to Presley, sharing a photo of the two legendary artists together and captioning it only with a broken heart emoji. Others — including Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rimes, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Billy Idol, John Travolta and many more — also shared photos and heartfelt tributes to Presley, who was laid to rest at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Judd, who has often been open about her mental health as she mourns the loss of Naomi, is getting ready for the next leg of “The Judds: The Final Tour.” The tour, aiming to honor her late mother in song, will include special guests on select dates, including Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile. The tour begins again on Thursday (January 26).