Why Naomi Judd kept Wynonna Judd's father, Charles Jordan, a secret
Charles Jordan was the biological father of 1980s American country music star Wynonna Judd. The true identity of Wynonna Judd’s father was hidden from her by her late mother, Naomi Judd, for three decades. This secret deeply affected her life and caused tension in her relationship with her mother.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- Wynonna Judd's father and mother hail from Kentucky
- Naomi Judd kept Charles Jordan's identity a secret
- Wynonna's mother married Michael Ciminella for stability
- Ashley and Wynonna Judd have different fathers
- Wynonna Judd has never met her biological father
- Naomi Judd passed away in 2022
- Why did Naomi Judd leave her daughter out of her will?
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
Key takeaways
- Wynonna Judd's father reportedly abandoned Naomi when she was pregnant.
- Charles Jordan passed away in August 2000, one month before Wynonna could meet him.
- Wynonna’s stepfather, Michael Ciminella, is also Ashley Judd’s biological father.
- Naomi Judd passed away in May 2022.
Profile summary
Full name | Charles Jordan |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 2 January 1945 |
Place of birth | Ashland, Kentucky, United States |
Date of death | 10 August 2000 |
Age | 55 years old (at the time of death) |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Father | William Owsley Jordan |
Mother | Mary Frances Watson |
Children | 2 |
School | Ashland High School |
Wynonna Judd's father and mother hail from Kentucky
Charles Jordan was born on 2 January 1945 in Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky, in the United States of America. Naomi Judd was also born in Ashland, Kentucky, on 11 January 1946, a year apart.
Wynonna was his first child with Naomi, but she only learned about him three decades later. In an interview with Dan Rather on AXS TV in April 2025, she said:
I never knew my father. I found out at 30. The man who I thought was my father is not.
Source: Original
Her biological father worked as a brakeman and conductor
Charles is the son of William Owsley Jordan and Mary Frances Watson, and he attended Ashland High School with Naomi. He worked as a brakeman and conductor for CSX Railroad and had a son named Michael with another woman.
Naomi Judd kept Charles Jordan's identity a secret
The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame member claimed Wynonna Judd's biological father abused her at 16 and abandoned her upon learning of the pregnancy. She kept his identity from her daughter.
In Candy O’Terry’s Country Music Success Stories podcast in 2020, Naomi revealed:
I had been [abused] in August, the night before my senior year started, by a big football player in town who heard I was alone. I was left to take care of the kids alone. I was the oldest in a big family, and I got pregnant the first time I had [slept with someone].
She continued:
Three months later, when I called him to tell him I thought I was pregnant, he said, ‘Well, tough luck, kiddo,’ and he hung up the phone, and we never heard from him.
Source: Getty Images
Wynonna's mother married Michael Ciminella for stability
In the same interview with Candy, Naomi stated that she had to remarry to have a roof and a name. She referred to Michael Ciminella, whom she married in January 1964, while pregnant, at age 17.
Wynonna Judd's parents were high school lovers, but the love went sour when he abandoned the pregnancy and joined the Army. Naomi sought to avoid public shame and secure financial stability for herself and her unborn child.
Michael believed Wynonna was his biological daughter and raised her as his own. The couple divorced four years later. She later married her second husband, Larry Strickland, on 6 May 1989, but had no children with him before passing away.
Source: Getty Images
Ashley and Wynonna Judd have different fathers
The Judd sisters do not share the same biological father. Wynonna’s biological father is Charles Jordan, while Ashley's is Michael Ciminella. Ashley was born on 19 April 1968, before her family moved to Los Angeles.
Wynonna Judd has never met her biological father
She never met her biological father. In an interview with CNN in October 2005, Wynonna told Larry King:
Charlie Jordan was his name, and I was going to go meet him about a month before he died, but I never got the chance.
Wynonna felt her dad knew she was his daughter
In Lifetime’s The Judd Family: Truth Be Told docuseries, Wynonna stated that her dad knew about her but did not reunite with her. She said:
My understanding is that Charlie knew about me and that he always felt like he couldn’t do anything about it.
What happened to Wynonna Judd's father?
Charles Jordan, Wynonna Judd’s father, died on 10 August 2000 in Louisa, Kentucky, at the age of 55. The cause of his death is unknown. He was buried at Pine Hill Cemetery, Louisa, Lawrence County, Kentucky, USA.
Source: Getty Images
Naomi Judd passed away in 2022
The actress, who appeared in An Evergreen Christmas, passed away on 30 April 2022, at 76, after ending her own life. She had long battled depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Why did Naomi Judd leave her daughter out of her will?
As Page Six shared, she likely left her daughters, Ashley and Wynonna, out of her will to spare them the burden of managing her $25 million estate, considering their busy careers.
Her husband, Larry Strickland, was appointed executor, with her brother-in-law, Reginald Strickland, and Kris Wiatr of Wiatr & Associates as co-executors as backups.
Despite being excluded, Wynonna has said she does not plan to contest the will and expects to share the estate with Ashley after Strickland's passing. Wynonna told PEOPLE in October 2022:
Fighting over what? I have such a great life. Ashley has a great life. Why would we be fighting over the will?
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Does Wynonna Judd have a relationship with her biological father? She did not have a relationship with him because she never met him.
- Who did Naomi Judd leave her inheritance to? She left it for her husband, Larry Strickland.
- Was Naomi Judd married to Wynonna's dad? They were never married.
- Is Wynonna Judd's father still alive? Charles Jordan passed away on 10 August 2000.
Conclusion
Naomi Judd kept Wynonna Judd’s biological father, Charles Jordan, a secret because he reportedly abandoned her after learning she was pregnant. At the time, Naomi was only 17 and facing the social challenges of being an unwed mother in a small Kentucky town.
READ MORE: Michael Ciminella (Naomi Judd's Ex-Husband): Age, family, profiles, and net worth
As Briefly.co.za published, Michael Ciminella was the first husband of American country singer Naomi Judd. Michael and Naomi Judd were married for about eight years, from 1964 to 1972.
Michael tied the knot with Naomi after she turned 18 and was pregnant with daughter Wynonna. After their divorce, the singer moved on and married Gospel and bass singer Larry Strickland in 1989, who was with her for 32 years until her unfortunate passing in April 2022.
Source: Briefly News
