Ashley Judd says her mother, Naomi Judd, once threatened to stop paying her college tuition because she objected to what Ashley was learning from a lesbian theology professor.
The 58-year-old actress recalled the disagreement in the November 12 debut of A Table Prepared, the podcast she co-hosts with pastor and longtime family friend Dan Scott.
Ashley attended the University of Kentucky from 1986 to 1990, studying cultural anthropology and French, according to a university newsletter. She later received her bachelor’s degree in French in 2007 and returned to campus in October 2021 for induction into the school’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
The first episode, titled “An Invitation from Appalachia: Stories We Inherited, and Stories we Choose to Live,” introduces a friendship that has lasted more than four decades. Ashley and Scott discuss their Appalachian roots and the people who shaped their faith.
The Professor’s Lessons Angered Naomi
According to Entertainment Weekly, Ashley recalled a class examining the treatment of women in Hebrew scripture. One lesson concerned passages in which women were listed among a man’s possessions, after his donkeys.
Ashley did not identify the professor or specify when the argument occurred. She also did not say that Naomi followed through on her threat to withdraw financial support.
In the podcast’s official launch announcement, Ashley credited women scholars across anthropology, art history, theology and gender studies with influencing her thinking. Her education exposed her to approaches that challenged ideas she had encountered while growing up in the church.
Ashley Challenged a Sermon at Her Family’s Church
Ashley remembered standing up during a sermon by Pastor Hardwick that condemned abortion. She questioned hearing that message in the church where she had grown up, but continued attending services whenever she returned home from college.
Scott had made room for her questions and frustration as a teenager. Describing their early friendship in the launch announcement, Ashley recalled searching for safety within her Christian upbringing. “My longing and my anger were both welcome,” she said.
She also recalled asking Scott to baptize her in their charismatic Pentecostal church. Now an ordained Anglican priest, author and spiritual director, Scott previously served as pastor of Christ Church Nashville. Their conversations have continued through changes in their lives and religious understanding.
Ashley Recalls Naomi Keeping Some Opinions Private
Elsewhere in the episode, Ashley said she believed her mother feared criticism from the country music community if she publicly departed from the political positions expected of its stars. She remembered Naomi expressing views at home that she thought would have surprised some listeners.
Ashley also questioned how much she should disclose after her mother’s death. She described wondering whether Naomi would have wanted those private beliefs attributed to her publicly. Her account focused on the difference she perceived between her mother’s public image and their conversations at home, without claiming that Naomi had publicly adopted those positions.
Scott Continued Visiting Naomi in Hospital
Ashley said she sometimes called Scott when Naomi was hospitalized toward the end of her life. He reliably responded and visited the singer, who, Ashley remembered, was delighted to see him.
Naomi died on April 30, 2022, at 76. She and her eldest daughter, Wynonna, performed as The Judds, winning five Grammy Awards during a career documented by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Produced by Situation Room Studios, A Table Prepared takes its name from Psalm 23’s passage about a table prepared in the presence of enemies. The series explores forgiveness, compassion and boundaries, including how people can remain in conversation when their beliefs differ.