Wynonna Judd Speaks Out After CMA Awards 2023 Performance Sparks Concern: ‘I Held on for Dear Life’

Hours after Wynonna Judd took the stage with Jelly Roll at the CMA Awards 2023, the singer made a TikTok video to address fan concern over her health.

“Don’t read the comments; I read the comments!” she said in a clip posted on Wednesday, November 8. “I’m just going to come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous.”

Throughout the surprise performance, Wynonna, 59, held onto Jelly Roll’s arm as she sang along to his song “Need a Favor.”

“I got out there, and I looked at Jelly Roll. I wanted it to be so good for him,” she continued. “I could cry right now, but I’m not going to because I’m such a fan of his and he asked me to sing, and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I got out there and I was so nervous that I just held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line.”

After the performance, fans shared their thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter, as they wondered why she “seemed off” or if she was “OK.”

“Wynonna Judd, you OK tonight gal??? What the heck was that?” one viewer wrote, while another asked, “Why is Wynonna Judd holding onto Jelly Roll for dear life?”

Wynonna’s CMA Awards performance with Jelly Roll, 38, came as a complete shock, as it was not announced beforehand.

“I have to show up for people like people did me,” The Voice Mega Mentor told Entertainment Tonight after taking the stage. “That’s my job now is to pass it on because people have been so generous with me and now it’s my turn to be generous with people like Jelly Roll, and that’s what I’m doing.”

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Wynonna also explained why she needed to take a second during her set to collect her thoughts at a recent concert.

“I have my ups and my downs, and that’s life, and I’m just telling the fans,” she said. “Like the other night, I got emotional; I felt Mom. And I got overcome and I just said, ‘I need some water, and I need somebody to hold onto me for a second while I take a deep breath and cry.’ And I just do it because that’s the way life is.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame inductee lost her mom, Naomi Judd, to suicide on April 30, 2022. To close out the CMA Awards this year, Jelly Roll took the stage again with K. Michelle to pay homage to The Judds with a performance of their song “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

“The first thing I said was, ‘I won’t do this without Wynonna’s blessing.’ Even before I did the song or recording, I called Wynonna,” Jelly Roll told the outlet of the tribute. “I have an immense amount of respect for Wynonna; I grew up listening to The Judds. I love Wynonna. And she said, ‘Not only do I want you to do it, I want you to do it big!'”

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).