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Wynonna Judd’s Fans Worry As Singer Looked ‘Frail’ and ‘Could Barely Walk’ during CMA Awards Performance

Wynnona Judd performed at the CMA Awards 2023 recently.
She left fans worried about her well-being after sharing the stage with a newcomer.
Judd previously opened up about her health.

After her recent performance at an award show, country music star Wynonna Judd left fans concerned. The superstar previously got candid about her health.

Judd, who is 59 years old, attended the 57th Annual CMA Awards on November 8, 2023. The award show was live on ABC and streamed on Hulu the following day.

The red-haired performed with 38-year-old rapper Jelly Roll, real name Jason DeFord. At the ceremony, the duo sang “Need a Favor,” and both donned coordinating black outfits.

Jelly Roll, a country music newcomer, was the first to sing on stage and was later joined by Judd. While walking up to him to sing together, she seemed to struggle to move when approaching him. Once Judd was finally next to Jelly Roll, she held on to him and did not move until the end of their performance.

Fans React to Judd’s Performance with Jelly Roll
The New York Post posted a clip of the pair singing on X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared online users’ comments about Judd’s movements during the show.

 

“Wondering if she’s having another severe bout of vertigo. Looking down, holding on for dear life, and barely moving.” one social media user commented.

Someone else expressed concern, “I’m worried about Wynonna. […] She looked [like] she could barely walk, grabbed Jelly Roll’s jacket, and didn’t MOVE.”

 

 

Judd responded to fans’ concerns on her Instagram account a day after the show. She shared a video sharing what she was going through during the performance as she wanted it to be perfect for Jelly Roll. She is a fan of him, and he asked her to perform with him. Judd explained:

“I got out there, and I was so nervous and I held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line.”

In another post from her live performance at the Grand Ole Opry on November 14th, 2023, Judd had fans asking questions about her appearance. Fans could not pinpoint what was wrong but felt that something was different about her. “She doesn’t look like herself,” remarked a fan.

Others noticed Judd looking down while singing and reckoned she was reading her lyrics. Some commenters thought Judd looked good and pointed to her “amazing” weight loss. However, some people thought the negative comments might trigger the singer since she had suffered the painful loss of her mother.

Judd Broke Down at Another Event – She Has Health Issues
While at a recent concert, Judd, whose mother, Naomi Judd, died by suicide at age 76 in April 2022, broke down during a stop on her Back to Wy Tour. She explained in an interview:

“The other night, I got really emotional. I felt mom. I got a little bit overcome.”

Months after her beloved parent passed away, Judd admitted that she had been crying often. She experienced mixed emotions as she could weep instantly, and she would be onto something else the next minute. “It doesn’t mean it’s a sign of weakness,” said Judd in a September 2022 interview.

The following month, the Kentucky native expressed that she could still not understand how her mother, who had long suffered from depression, died the way she did. But she admitted that dealing with mental illness was not linear. “You have to make peace with the fact that you don’t know. Sometimes there are no answers,” she said.

In addition, Judd revealed in January 2023 on Instagram that she also has health issues. She penned in her post that she was dealing with “an extreme bout of vertigo.” The condition can reportedly cause dizziness and nausea, among other things.

Before revealing her condition, Judd had been open about the ups and downs of her career, and how some of the changes in her personal life affected her. The singer candidly opened up about the how she had dedicated her life to country music, but in the end, it felt like she was sacrificing herself.

Naomi Judd and Wynonna singing at the ceremony of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington D.C in 2006 | Source: Getty Images

Judd said she had her children home-schooled and worked years on her records, all while supporting about 40 to 50 families, which she had been doing since she was 18. “I’m the woman who forgot to put herself on the list. And I’m really tired…I don’t have it together. I’m losing my way here,” she expressed.

The country singer also added that the stress of her demanding career, combined with her parents’ divorce, took a toll on her. As a young child dealing with the loneliness of her parent’s separation, Judd remembered going hungry and experiencing immense anxiety. But at 18, she had a number-one hit song and started traveling the world, which is when food became a source of comfort.

However, Judd reassured fans that she was “okay,” adding that she had been working hard on her holistic well-being. She takes time off from work whenever she can to tend to herself.

The famed singer is currently a Mega Mentor on the singing competition “The Voice,” which stars Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend. She took to her Instagram on November 14, 2023, and wrote that she was “having the best time,” with the coaches on the hit show.