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Who Is Wynonna Judd’s Father? Get to Know Charles Jordan Amid New Family Docuseries
Wynonna Judd grew up thinking a different man was her biological father. Amid the new Lifetime docuseries The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, Life & Style takes a closer look at the country superstar’s dad, Charles Jordan.
Who Was Charles Jordan?
Charles was Wynonna’s biological father. He was born in Ashland, Kentucky, like her mother, Naomi Judd. Wynonna never knew Charles during his lifetime, and he died at the age of 55 in 2000, according to his Find a Grave memorial page. It states he died of a heart attack and his buried in Louisa, Kentucky, just west of the West Virginia state line.
Naomi Judd Claimed Charles Jordan Dumped Her When She Found Out She Was Pregnant
“I got pregnant the first time I had sex,” Naomi recalled during a 2020 appearance on Candy O’Terry’s “Country Music Success Stories” podcast about her liaison with Charles. “Three months later, when I called him to tell him to say I thought I was pregnant, he said, ‘Well, tough luck, kiddo,’ and he hung up the phone and we never heard from him.”
Naomi said the reason behind her January 1964 marriage to Michael C. Ciminella was to give Wynonna a father and place to live. She said she “had to marry the town jerk to have a roof and a name.”
Wynonna was born Christina Claire Ciminella in Ashland, Kentucky, on May 30, 1964. Michael went on to raise the singer believing she was his own child. Naomi and Michael welcomed daughter Ashley Judd in April 1968 after moving to Los Angeles. Wynonna didn’t find out Charles was her biological father until shortly after his death.
Wynonna Judd Claims Mom Naomi Judd ‘Loved’ Charles Jordan
“Mom told me, ‘I was 16 and I was a virgin, I was home alone and [Charles] came over and took advantage of me,’” Wynonna revealed Lifetime’s The Judd Family: Truth Be Told docuseries, which premiered in May 2025.
The “No One Else on Earth” singer said her mom later told her that she did love Charles, but their romance was doomed once Naomi found out she was pregnant.
“There was all this pressure and everybody kinda freaked out, and he went off to join the Army,” Wynonna explained in the docuseries.
Did Charles Jordan Know Wynonna Judd Was His Daughter?
“My understanding is that Charlie knew about me and that he always felt like he couldn’t do anything about it,” the “Love Can Build a Bridge” singer said during the docuseries.
“I guess he didn’t feel he was worthy or whatever, like, ‘Wynonna’s got this life, and I can’t just show up in it.’ And for a while, I wasn’t ready to go meet him. What if he’s a jerk? What if we don’t make a connection? What if, what if, what if? Fear, fear, fear. But when I finally decided to, it was too late,” she added.
“Look, I understand it, but I was really angry with her about it. I was so devastated that I thought there was a part of me that’s missing,” Wynonna said about her biological dad. “The glass is half empty. Learning about my birth father, I feel more like him than I do my mother in certain areas. And I think Mom was terrified of that half of me because she couldn’t control it. She couldn’t bring it in and train it. That’s why Mom was very hard on me.”
What Happened to Naomi Judd?
Naomi died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 30, 2022. She was 76 years old. The “River of Time” singer previously revealed her battle with severe depression and mental health issues for years prior to her death.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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