From Wynonna and the late great Naomi‘s country legacy as The Judds, to Ashley’s career in Hollywood and philanthropy, the Judd family is one talented bunch.
Wynonna’s kids, however, did not go into the entertainment business. The country singer had them in the late 1990s from her relationship with businessman Arch Kelley III, who also became her first husband in 1996. They divorced in 1998, and Wynonna remarried in 2003 to former bodyguard D.R. Roach, and again in 2012 to Highway 101 drummer Scott “Cactus” Moser. They’ve been married ever since.
All about Wynonna Judd’s children
Judd has two children. Elijah, who was born on Dec. 23, 1994, is a K-9 officer at Williamson County’s Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee. He married his childhood sweetheart Hailey in 2020, and is close to his mom, frequently appearing on her socials. He was named after Judd’s great-great-great grandfather.
When Elijah turned 27 in 2021, Judd left a sweet message on her Instagram page telling her son how “proud” she was “of the man that [he had] become.”
Judd’s daughter, Grace Pauline, was born on June, 21, 1996, and her life could not be more different from her brother’s. In an interview with John Rich in 2020, the singer opened up about her children, saying “I’ve got one on patrol and one on parole.” Grace has been in and out of prison since 2016 for drug-related crimes, as well as violating a restraining order, and, most recently, allegedly exposing her breasts on a busy highway. But, Judd says, she is “the strongest Judd woman in [their] ‘herstory.’”
“[My children] are both so bright. They’re both so brilliantly talented,” the singer reflected, adding “I’m no different than anyone else. I’ve got kids who have made great successful choices. I have just as much to say about the testimony — emphasis on the word ‘test”‘ — of both my children saying ‘Wow, that didn’t work.'”
The 27-year-old had a baby daughter, Kaliyah Chanel, on April 13, 2022, during a temporary leave of absence from jail. The girl, it seems, is now living with her grandmother who, in an Instagram post, promised to “break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction” so she can be a “healthier” influence on Kaliyah.
On her public Facebook page in November 2023, Grace accused her mother of using her influence and power to obtain custody of Kaliyah, saying that she tricked her into letting her look after her daughter for a few days. According to Grace, when she finally went to Judd’s house to pick Kaliyah up, she was served with a restraining order.
“When I pulled up I saw the 2 men on each side of her gate but I couldn’t see what they were working on because they had no tools. When I pulled in the men approached my vehicle and pulled out an envelope. They handed it too me as while informing me that they were cops and I was to not go anywhere near my daughter. I looked down and pulled out the contents of the envelope. I couldn’t belive what I was reading. A restraining order on my own daughter!? Is that even legal… then I flipped to the next page and read the words ABUSE AND NEGLECT. I was in complete shock… I stared off into space as one of the officers told me that if I was to go a foot on my mother’s property s I would be arrested immediately. [SIC]”
It appears Wynonna and Grace are currently estranged, and the country star only keeps a relationship with her son Elijah and granddaughter Kaliyah.
