Elijah Judd: Wynonna Judd’s Son Is Married and She Is ‘Proud of the Man’ He Has Become

The first child to Wynonna Judd and the first grandchild to Naomi Judd, Elijah Judd comes from one talented family. Now the 28-year-old is all grown up and married, and Wynonna is one proud mama.

Elijah Judd comes from a family of celebrities; his mother is a famous country singer and his grandmother, Naomi Judd, was a renowned singer and actress as well. Sadly, his grandmother died in April 2022. Growing up with a family that is in the public eye, Elijah chooses to live a more reserved life.

THE BIRTH OF ELIJAH JUDD WAS COMPLICATED

Elijah Judd was born on December 23, 1994, in Nashville, Tennessee. His mother’s first child, his delivery was a difficult one due to his mother’s health complications. During an interview, Noami shared that her daughter had asthma, which impacted her pregnancy. Wynonna ended up having a C-section. Naomi said:

“And I believe the most terrifying experience in my life thus far was watching Elijah, my first grandchild, being born.”

During her interview, Noami reminisces about Elijah’s childhood. He was a kind and friendly child who loved his mother and grandmother; he had a wonderful sense of humor as a child, always making his grandmother laugh, and his grandmother stated that he could have been a stand-up comedian.

Wynonna Judd, Arch Kelley and Elijah Judd at Los Angeles International Airport on June 21, 1995 | Source: Getty Images

Thanks to his mother and grandmother, Elijah has loved the outdoors since he was young. Living only over the hill away from his grandmother’s Ranch, this comes as no surprise as he had spent much time on his grandmother’s ranch.

During the Christmas season, young Elijah and his family would take cookies down to the Sheriff’s Department; this led to his dream of being a policeman when he grew, up his ‘Mawmaw’ recalls- which is what he used to call his grandmother.

Sharing a sweet memory, the country singer recalled her grandchild declaring he wanted to fight “crim-animals”, which is what he used to call criminals.

ELIJAH JUDD IS A HAPPY FAMILY MAN

Elijah got married on October 17, 2020, to his girlfriend of 7 years, Hailey Williams. At 27 years old, the two tied the knot; Elijah got down on one knee to pop the question in a romantic ceremony back in 2017, surrounded by the people closest to him.

His mother took to social media to commemorate the special moment, writing: “My son Elijah proposed to his love of 7 years, Hailey, last night. I am one proud Mama. Merry Christmas indeed.”

ELIJAH JUDD FAMILY MEMBERS ARE POPULAR FIGURES

Elijah did not grow up only having a famous grandmother in his family, he also had a famous mother, Wynonna Judd. Wynonna was part of the musical group, The Judds, with her mother; together, the two went on to win 6 Grammys.

Elijah’s aunt, Ashley Judd, is also a famous actress, having roles in “High Crimes” and “The Tooth Fairy”. Wynonna also had a successful solo career after her mother retired from music.

Naomi Judd at the 2016 Pet Her Awards at Gotham Hall on October 7, 2016 | Source: Getty Images

Naomi retired from music after being diagnosed with hepatitis C, a chronic liver disease that could potentially be fatal. However, after taking some time away from music, she was fortunately cured of the condition.

Sadly, on April 30, Noami died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds at the age of 75. In “Good Morning America”, Ashley spoke about the news, sharing that her mother suffered from mental illness.

The Judd family wanted to keep as much private as they could; though uncomfortable sharing the information, as somewhat of a family representative at the time, Ashley knew that if they did not share the news, someone else would have.

Ashley Judd, Wynonna Judd and Elijah Judd at Nickelodeon’s 10th Annual Kids Choice Awards on April 19, 1997 | Source: Getty Images

Elijah’s father, Arch Kelley III, was Wynonna’s first marriage; they met in 1993 and got married in 1996. The pair decided to part ways in 1999. In 2003, Wynonna married D.R Roach; he was later arrested on assault and battery charges. She divorced him five days later. She said:

“I’m now focused on saving myself and the children. It is hard to detach overnight. I’m healing in my own time. And so I do wear my ring. And I think what I’m teaching my kids is, This happened. This is where Mom is right now. And there’s always hope.”

In June of 2012, Wynonna married drummer Cactus Moser from the band Highway 101. Cactus and Wynonna had a country wedding in Tennessee and her son was in attendance.

After Elijah, Wynonna and Arch also welcomed a girl. Elijah’s sister, Grace Kelley, spent years in and out of prison during her adult life on drug-related charges. On August 28, 2021, Grace was arrested for eight years for violating probation; she is now in prison.

Growing up, Elijah and Grace were very close with their grandmother and spent a lot of time with her. They would play hula hoops and tag with a ping-pong ball gun, they helped their grandmother with dinner and she would sometimes read to them at night.

Wynonna Judd and Elijah Judd at the ACM Honors at Ryman Auditorium on September 10, 2013 | Source: Getty Images

Despite being a member of a public family and constantly appearing in front of the paparazzi’s camera lenses from an early age, Elijah now chooses a private, non-public life.

Respecting this decision, his family members rarely share his picture; on occasion, his mother will take to social media to celebrate his birthday and special moments such as his engagement.

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