Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd was married to Scottish racing driver Dario Franchitti from 2001 to 2013. They did not have children.

In 2006, Judd entered treatment for depression, insomnia, and codependency. She later took a medical leave from the University of California, Berkeley because of siege migraines. In 2021, she shattered her leg while hiking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was transported for 55 hours before reaching a hospital in South Africa for surgery.

Judd is the daughter of country singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country singer Wynonna Judd. Her parents divorced when she was four, after which she moved with Naomi to Kentucky and spent most of her childhood there. She attended 13 schools before college and briefly tried modeling in Japan during a school break.

At the University of Kentucky, Judd majored in French and completed additional study in anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. After college, she moved to Hollywood, studied acting at Playhouse West, and worked as a hostess at The Ivy restaurant. Her early screen appearances included two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the recurring role of Reed Halsey on Sisters.

Judd made her feature-film debut in Kuffs in 1992. She took her first starring role in Victor Nuñez's Ruby in Paradise in 1993, playing Ruby Lee Gissing, a young woman attempting to build a new life in Florida. The film won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, and Judd won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.

Her supporting roles in Smoke, Heat, and The Passion of Darkly Noon followed in 1995. She played Norma Jean in the television film Norma Jean & Marilyn, earning nominations for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. Her role as Dr. Kate McTiernan in Kiss the Girls established her as a leading actress in suspense films, followed by prominent parts in Simon Birch, Double Jeopardy, and Eye of the Beholder.

Judd was cast in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, but her scenes were removed from the theatrical release. The material was later restored for the film's director's cut. She also turned down a larger role in Kuffs after being asked to perform nude scenes, accepting a smaller part instead.

In the early 2000s, Judd starred in Where the Heart Is, Someone Like You, and High Crimes. She appeared as younger Vivi Abbott Walker in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and as Tina Modotti in Frida. In 2003, she played Maggie the Cat in the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Judd received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Linda Porter in De-Lovely, a biographical film about composer and songwriter Cole Porter. She later appeared in Come Early Morning and William Friedkin's horror film Bug, as well as Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2.

Her television work includes the ABC series Missing, in which she played Rebecca Winstone, and recurring or leading roles in Twin Peaks and Berlin Station. She played Natalie Prior in the Divergent film series and later appeared in A Dog's Way Home, She Said, and Lazareth. Judd directed the "Maggie" segment of the 2013 television film Call Me Crazy: A Five Film.

Judd's humanitarian work has focused on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, poverty, human trafficking, and the rights of women and girls. She was appointed a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2016 and has visited humanitarian and development projects in countries including Jordan, Turkey, Ukraine, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. She has also worked with YouthAIDS, Women for Women International, Equality Now, and Apne Aap Women Worldwide.

She traveled with the Enough Project to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visiting hospitals, displaced-person camps, mines, and civil society organizations. Her advocacy addressed the connection between conflict minerals used in electronics and sexual violence in mining regions. She also narrated documentaries connected with international health and humanitarian issues.

Judd has spoken publicly about sexual harassment and assault and identified Harvey Weinstein in 2017 as the studio executive she had previously discussed without naming. She filed a defamation and sexual harassment lawsuit against Weinstein in 2018. A federal judge dismissed the sexual-harassment claim in 2019 while allowing her defamation claim to continue. Her public advocacy contributed to her inclusion among Time magazine's 2017 "Silence Breakers".

Judd has supported Democratic candidates and causes, including Barack Obama's presidential campaign and Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign. She represented Tennessee as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention and considered challenging Mitch McConnell for the U.S. Senate before deciding not to run in 2013.

In 2011, Judd published All That Is Bitter & Sweet: A Memoir, which combines personal history with accounts of her humanitarian work. The book became a New York Times bestseller. She has continued to give speeches on gender equality, abuse, mental health, and humanitarian concerns.