Michael Ciminella: The First Husband of Naomi Judd
Who is Michael Ciminella?
Michael Ciminella is a famous businessman and marketing analyst who works for the horse racing industry. The first husband of actress and singer Naomi Judd, Michael Ciminella, and Naomi Judd were married for eight years.
Michael Ciminella and Naomi Judd share a daughter named Ashley Judd. Born in 1967, Ashley Judd is an actress and political activist.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Michael C. Ciminella |
| Also Known As | Michael Ciminella |
| Birthdate | 1945 |
| Birthplace | Kentucky, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Height | 5 feet and 9 inches |
| Eyes | Black |
| Hair | Gray |
| Parents | Mary Bernadine Dalton (mother) |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Spouse | Naomi Judd (Ex-wife) |
| Children | Ashley Judd |
| Profession | Businessman and marketing analyst |
| Net Worth | USD 1 million |
Michael Ciminella Birthday
Michael Ciminella was born in 1945. He was born in Kentucky, United States of America. As of 2023, he is 24 years old.
Michael Ciminella Family Background
Michael Ciminella is the son of Mary Bernadine Dalton. He has not revealed details regarding his father and siblings to date. The businessman has also remained mum about his educational background.
Who is Michael Ciminella’s ex-wife Naomi Judd?
Born Diana Ellen Judd, Naomi Judd is a renowned American singer and actress. Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna formed the duo The Judd in 1980, which emerged as a successful country music act.
At the beginning of her singing career, Naomi Judd returned to her maiden name following her divorce from Michael Ciminella. However, she believed that her birth name Diana did not fit “her own spiritual, rural Kentucky conception of her true heritage.”
She adopted the name Naomi after the Biblical figure Naomi, who, like Naomi Judd, had moved to another land and was left husbandless. The Judds went on to win five Grammy Awards and nine Country Music Association awards.
The mother–daughter duo released twenty top-ten hits and fifteen number-ones. The Judds were undefeated for eight consecutive years at all three major country music awards shows.
In 1991, Naomi Judd was diagnosed with hepatitis C. Following the diagnosis, The Judds broke up.
The Judds held a farewell concert that became one of cable pay-per-view’s most successful music-related events. In addition, to raise awareness of hepatitis C, Naomi Judd established the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund in 1991.
Moreover, she was also appointed as a spokesperson for the American Liver Foundation. In 1993, she was awarded the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
After being treated with interferon-alpha, Naomi Judd gained a virologic cure for hepatitis C. In 1999, Naomi Judd starred as Lily Waite in A Holiday Romance.
The same year, the Judds reunited for a New Year’s Eve concert in Phoenix at the America West Arena. Then, in 2001, the mother-daughter pair reunited again for their “Power to Change” tour.
The Judds performed in front of over 300,000 people on 30 dates. In 2001, they were nominated as the Academy of Country Music’s top vocal duo.
In 2005, Naomi Judd launched the Sunday morning talk show Naomi’s New Morning on the Hallmark Channel. Naomi also authored many self-help books, including Naomi’s Guide to Aging Gratefully: Facts, Myths, and Good News for Boomers.
She judged and mentored the television reality competition series Can You Duet in 2008. Judd and That 70’s Show actress Laura Prepon co-starred in the 2011 Lifetime television movie, The Killing Game.
She starred in An Evergreen Christmas in 2014. She and her husband, Larry Strickland, competed against each other in the first season of My Kitchen Rules in 2017.
Naomi Judd Death
At the age of 76, Naomi Judd died on April 30, 2022, after taking her own life by firearm at her home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee.
Naomi, who had long dealt with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts, had suffered from side effects such as facial edema, alopecia, and tremors due to her medications.
Her daughters announced her death via Twitter. They tweeted,
“Today, we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness.”
On May 12, 2022, Ashley Judd, in an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, shared the reason behind her mom’s demise.
Likewise, she explained that she wanted to raise awareness of mental illness among the general public. She revealed that she and her family wanted to directly address the reason behind her mother’s death rather than have it disclosed from a secondary source.
Naomi Judd’s memorial was televised on CMT. Robin Roberts hosted Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration which was broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium.
Many famous faces, including Larry Strickland, Bono, Bette Midler, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, and Salma Hayek, were featured in the memorial.
In addition, Wynonna, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Emmylou Harris and Allison Russell, Little Big Town, Brandi Carlile, and Jamey Johnson performed in the memorial.
Marriage and Children
Naomi Judd gave birth to her first child, Wynonna Judd (born Christina Claire Ciminella), when she was 18 years old. Naomi and her child were abandoned by her boyfriend and Wynonna’s dad, Charles Jordan.
Following the breakup, Naomi Judd married Michael Ciminella and gave her daughter the last name Ciminella. In 1958, Naomi and Michael Ciminella welcomed their daughter, Ashley Judd.
In 1972, Michael Ciminella and Naomi Judd ended their marriage amicably. After their split, Naomi Judd raised her daughters alone as a single mom. Then, to support her family, she enrolled in nursing school.
She got accepted at California’s College of Marin. But unfortunately, this was also around the time when her musical career took off.
Who is Michael Ciminella’s daughter Ashley Judd?
Ashley Judd is an American actress and political activist. She has acted in several films, including Ruby in Paradise, Heat, Smoke, Norma Jean & Marilyn, A Time to Kill, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is, Frida, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Bug, Olympus Has Fallen, and A Dog’s Way Home.
She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries for portraying Rebecca Winstone in the 2012 television series Missing. Judd revealed that a studio mogul sexually harassed her in October 2015.
In October 2017, she revealed that Harvey Weinstein had molested her while filming Kiss, the Girls. As a result, she filed a defamation and sexual harassment lawsuit against Weinstein on April 30, 2018.
Ashley Judd’s humanitarian work has revolved around gender equality and women’s sexual and reproductive rights. She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA in 2016.
Likewise, Judd has worked extensively with YouthAIDS and has traveled to places such as Cambodia, Kenya, and Rwanda to help alleviate poverty and illnesses.
Michael Ciminella Net Worth
As of 2023, Michael Ciminella has a net worth of approximately USD 1 million. He has made such impressive earnings due to his businessman and marketing analyst career. As a result, he leads a lavish life.
