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Ashley Judd, 57, makes rare move of posing in a swimsuit as she shares inspiring note about being ‘unselfconscious’

BBG News

This past week, Ashley Judd was spotted sporting an adorable black swimsuit on the beach, as captured in a fresh Instagram post.

Her mood was playful as she splashed around, did handstands and backflips. 

The 57-year-old Hollywood icon also shared an inspiring comment about being ‘unselfconscious.’ 

‘WE DON’T CARE CLUB✨ founded by @justbeingmelani – BALTIC SEA EDITION,’ she began her caption.

What might the ‘We Don’t Care Club’ aspire for? When I choose to disregard societal expectations and norms about my feminine physiology (during menopause), what will I be liberated to experience joy in? (Menopause is a natural part of human female biology that occurs universally across the globe.)

Go ahead and play! Let your silliness shine! Enjoy yourself to the fullest! Experience boundless joy! I revel in the carefree nature of my true essence. My inner child is unleashed. She exudes self-assurance and delight.

Judd posed the question, “Imagine if you allowed yourself to be unrestrained, what would your Authentic Self and Innocent Heart fill your Unbounded Eternity with? How might you release yourself from the expectations, thoughts, needs, and desires of others?

How would one express themselves in a different yet understandable manner: “What are YOUR inner feelings, requirements, desires, towards yourself? A big thank you to @justbeingmelani for sparking this conversation! We’re thrilled to present the “Make Stuph Up” Club (MSU), a place that celebrates the boundless creativity of our inner children.

‘They want to be seen, heard, be safe, & play. 

If I, as an adult, become overly concerned with what others think of me, I risk disregarding, overlooking, and forsaking my authentic Self.

‘Today, that’s off the table. Into the Sea for me, to splash & play! Love, Ashley.’

For more than ten years, Judd had been a prominent film actor, collaborating on successful movies alongside well-known co-stars.

She was paired with the best: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Matthew McConaughey, to name a few.

The actresses who co-starred with her were equally outstanding: Sandra Bullock, Natalie Portman, and the extraordinary Salma Hayek.

As a devoted admirer, I had the unparalleled privilege of embodying the most iconic pin-up of Tinseltown – Marilyn Monroe – in the 1996 production titled “Norma Jean & Marilyn.” It was a dream role that brought me closer to the legend herself.

Over the last ten years, she’s primarily been cast in secondary roles, but she’s also had significant successes such as starring in The Dog’s Way Home, which was released in 2019.

Ever since I sustained an injury to my leg back in 2021 while in the Republic of the Congo, my pace has definitely taken a step back, much like a beloved idol whose rhythm is temporarily off-beat.

Apart from graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2007, Judd attended UC Berkeley since 2016 to study for a Ph.D. in Public Policy, and previously, in 2010, obtained a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

But she still posts often on Instagram proving she looks fabulous even in her mid-50s.

In April 2024, Judd gave an emotional speech on suicide prevention, sharing her personal experience following her mother Naomi’s tragic death by self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At a White House event in Washington, the star was joined by other prominent suicide prevention activists such as artist Aloe Blacc and campaigner Shelby Rowe.

She shared insights into her mother’s battles with mental health issues, expressing that when Naomi tragically ended her life, ‘the deceitful nature of mental illness had led her to believe, with extreme fear, that things would never improve.’

After Ashley shared the shattering experience of finding her mother’s lifeless body following her suicide at the age of 76 on April 30, 2022, I can’t help but feel deeply moved and overwhelmed with emotion.

Ashley walked onto the stage wearing a loose, white summer dress. However, once she reached the microphone, she covered her lower half with a rough, fabric blanket.

She stated, “I’m present due to being my cherished mother’s child. A week from now marks the two-year anniversary of her passing, during which time mental illness had been deceiving her, filling her with fear by insisting that there was no hope for improvement…

‘I have a firm belief that we deserve to be remembered not just for how we died but how we lived.’

Ashley revealed that her mother had spent the majority of her life battling an undiagnosed and untreated mental illness, which deceived her and robbed her of happiness.

‘It stole from our family and she deserved better.’

Naomi passed away due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A suicide note was found by her side at her residence in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee.

According to the autopsy report, she struggled with severe anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Ashley opened up about her personal struggles with depression, sharing: “I’ve been through a traumatic experience too; I was sexually abused by a man when I was just seven years old. This incident has played a significant role in my life.

In around 2006, I started experiencing depression during my childhood years. However, unlike others who might feel unwilling to continue living, I sought help due to unresolved childhood grief and sexual trauma. As a result, I underwent treatment that year.

For the past 18 years, I’ve made a strong comeback, and my journey has differed significantly from that of my mother. My story serves as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of adversity, embodying the spirit of recovery.

In other conversations, Ashley talked about her close-knit and deeply connected group of people whom she refers to as her chosen family.

She shared how they had ‘walked beside her through the entire experience’ of losing her mom.

To draw attention to the ongoing fight against both the mental health crisis and the overdose crisis, the White House organized an event on the same day they unveiled their annual strategy for suicide prevention.

In early January, Ashley made an appearance on a specific episode of the CNN program “All There Is with Anderson Cooper” for a discussion about the passing of her mother.

Ashley expressed that her mother’s passing through suicide was both shocking and distressing, but she was incredibly grateful to have been present with her during that difficult time.

In a situation where I found myself entering a space and witnessing signs of distress on my mother, my immediate response was, “Mom, I can tell you’ve been going through a lot, and that’s alright. I’m here for you, and it’s okay to release whatever pain you’re holding onto.

Meanwhile, in 2022 Ashley Judd talked about her traumatic accident in the Congo in 2021.

She could have died.

In February 2021, the siren sustained a fracture in four different locations on her right leg while trekking through the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s forest.

In her podcast Sex, Body & Soul, Judd shared that she endured immense agony during the 55-hour rescue operation and barely made it through.

She expressed that it was puzzling to her how one’s mind, body, and spirit could collectively find the strength to bear the seemingly unbearable. She described herself as biting a stick, shouting, wailing, and shaking violently. At times, she longed for fainting.

For about five hours, Judd found herself stretched out on the ground within the forest, until she was eventually saved by her fellow Congolese people.

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2025-07-25 16:49

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