Naomi Judd's Family Asks Court to Seal Death Investigation Records

The singer died in April from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Naomi Judd's family is asking a judge to seal police reports and recordings made during the course of its investigation into the legendary country singer's death.

The family's legal team filed the petition -- provided to the Associated Press -- Friday in Williamson County Court and said that, should the police reports and recordings be made available to the public, it would bring "significant trauma and irreparable harm" to the family. 

Some of the other reasons as to why the family doesn't want the records released includes that disclosing the report would reveal medical records and conversations family members had with police during the probe.

In a statement submitted with the petition, Naomi's widow, Larry Strickland, said he didn't know that his interviews with police were being recorded, and that he shared personal and private information to assist police.

Ashley Judd also provided a statement, in which she said she was in "clinical shock, active trauma and acute distress" during her conversations with police. She added that she does not want video, audio and photos to permanently stay in the public domain, and that it would haunt their family for generations, the AP reported.

Also in the petition -- filed on behalf of Strickland, Ashley and Wynonna Judd -- are details that Ashley found her mother alive after she shot herself, per the AP. The filing shows Ashley stayed by her mother's side for a half hour before help arrived. 

According to the petition, a number of media outlets in Tennessee have already filed public records requests relating to Naomi's death investigation. The petition filed on behalf of the family was provided to The Associated Press by a family rep with the family's permission.

Naomi, one-half of the GRAMMY-winning country duo The Judds, died on April 30, one day before The Judds were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was 76 years old.

Ashley would later release a statement saying, "We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness." Two weeks later, during a pre-taped interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Ashley revealed the cause of death.

"She used a weapon… my mother used a firearm," Ashley said. "So that’s the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing, but understand that we’re in a position that if we don’t say it, someone else is going to."

The actress said she wanted to be the one to confirm the news before it would "become public without our control."

Recalling her mother's final day, Ashley explained, "It was a mixed day. I visit with my mom and pop every day when I’m home in Tennessee, so I was at the house visiting as I am every day. Mom said to me, ‘Will you stay with me?’ and I said, ‘Of course I will’… I went upstairs to let her know that her good friend was there and I discovered her. I have both grief and trauma from discovering her."

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