Michael Ciminella: Naomi Judd married Michael Ciminella at the age of 17 and was well-known for being her first husband. The couple had a daughter together and decided to split.
Naomi rose to fame as a singer and her ex-husband fell in love with Ashley Judd, their daughter. Follow Fox24x7.com to get daily updates.
Who is Michael Ciminella
Famously, Michael Ciminella was Naomi Judd’s first husband and father. Naomi and Ciminella were married young, long before Naomi adopted her stage name.
However, their marriage lasted only a few years. Naomi, along with Wynonna Judd, became famous singers. Ciminella, however, faded from the limelight. He was a great father, however.
Ciminella is originally from Ashland in Kentucky but he currently resides in Louisville. He attended Fork Union Military Academy for his high school education and then went on to pursue a business degree from Transylvania University.
Ciminella graduated in 1967 and returned to school to complete an MBA at the University of California. Since then, he has been a freelance remote sports producer on multiple networks, including NBC Sports and ABC. He was also a subcontractor in Aerospace’s marketing department.
Naomi’s ex-husband, Michael, was a successful businessman, just like his father. Ciminella started the Ashland Kentucky company Ashland Aluminum Co.
- Full name: Michael Charles Ciminella
- Date of birth: 1945
- Age: 77 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Kentucky, United States
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Religion: Christian
- Mother: Mary Bernadine Dalton
- Sexual orientation: Straight
- Marital status: Divorced
- Ex-spouse: Naomi Judd
- Children: Ashley Judd
- Stepchildren: Wynonna Judd
- Height in feet 5 feet 9 inches
- Height in cm 175 cm
- Weight in kgs 65 kg
- Weight in lbs 143 lbs
Michael Ciminella married Naomi Judd before her fame.
Ciminella married Naomi, her classmate, just days before her 18th birthday, in 1964. The singer was pregnant with Wynonna, her daughter with football player Charles Jordan.
When the “Young Love”, songstress, gave birth, she missed her graduation. She was able to have Ciminella with her when they moved to Los Angeles, California in 1968. Naomi was their first child. Ciminella has a strong bond with his daughter, and is always there to help her in time of need. Ashley was in an accident while she was in the DRC.
In 1968, Ashley was born to the couple. The couple had a family but their love was short-lived and they divorced in 1972. Naomi raised her daughters while she was at College of Marin.
Her career changed to the entertainment business, and Wynonna’s life as a singer was a success. They formed a singing group called The Judds, and became hugely popular in the music business.
She was not only a singer, but also a producer and actress. Her work includes “Someone Like You”, “Route 65 Nashville” and “An Evergreen Christmas.” Naomi, 76, died April 30, 2022. She committed suicide at her Tennessee home. In a statement, her family stated:
The Father of Ashley Judd is Michael Ciminella.
On April 19, 1968, Ciminella, four years after getting married to his ex-wife, welcomed Ashley Judd as his first child. While Ciminella didn’t become a singer like her mother, Ciminella’s daughter became an actress.
Ashley became a political activist, humanitarian, and advocate for pressing issues. Ashley says Ciminella shares similar stances with his daughter, including being a feminist.
Ciminella has a strong bond with his daughter. He is always there for her in times of distress. Ashley was in an accident while she was in the DRC. Ciminella flew straight to South Africa to be with Ashley while she was in hospital.
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Wynonna and Ciminella faced a problem in 2012 when Wynonna filed suit against him for not paying a loan. Ciminella, allegedly bought a property and borrowed $200,000 from Wynonna along with a promissory notice. He has been my rock and companion, resource and helped me listen and support so many doctors. I’ve wept endlessly. Ashley shared that we made it to America in 22 hours, 4 flights thanks to Air Ambulance’s unbelievably effective disaster travel insurance.
Wynonna Judd thought of Michael as her dad.
Wynonna’s formative years were also marked by Ciminella as her father. For years, she believed he was her biological father. She didn’t discover her biological father until the early 1990s. They never met, however.
“He died before he could meet me.” Wynonna shared an emotional tweet saying, “I pray he will greet me in Heaven.” Wynonna and Ciminella faced a problem in 2012, when Wynonna filed suit against Wynonna for not paying a loan. Ciminella, a shopper, allegedly borrowed $200,000 from Wynonna and a promissory loan to his daughter.
Given their many similarities, falling in love was easy. It took Naomi and Strickland ten years to get married.
He did not pay the accrued interest or principal amount and he also didn’t pay any late fees. Ciminella’s lawyer claimed Wynonna gave the property to her father. She tried to get it back 18 years later, as she needed money.
Michael Ciminella is now wed and lives in Louisville.
Ciminella has now married Mollie Whitelaw, a native of Louisville, Kentucky. Whitelaw was a Converse University student before getting married on November 8, 2010.
Later, she attended the University of Louisville where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Arts History, Fine, Studio Arts, Secondary Education and Teaching.
Whitelaw is currently employed as a Management Professional in a Kentucky non-profit.
Her marriage is looking stronger, and it seems like she and Ciminella have good relations. His posts on social media show that they travel together and enjoy quality moments.
What Is Michael Doing in 2022?
Ciminella appears to be a significant support for his daughter, aside from his time with his wife. His posts on social media show that he is interested in politics as well as social issues such Ashley.
He also loves birds and is a passionate animal lover. Ciminella has a cat named Cleo who occasionally appears in his Facebook posts. He previously posted about a mockingbird near his house. He stated:
As Ciminella lived his life, Naomi, his first wife fell in love with Larry Strickland in 1978. Given the many things they shared, falling in love was easy. It took Naomi and Strickland ten years to get married.
They had been happily married for more than 30 years. “We may go to Red Lobster. Cracker Barrel is getting old. It’s so normal. He’s currently out on a Bush Hog [mower] at the farm and the biggest excitement is that he discovered a rattler last Wednesday. She said, “That’s how we live.”
Strickland supported Naomi Judd in her career and her mental health struggles. He was there for her until her death, which would prove to be an unexpected turn of events. The duo is still considered one of the most powerful couples in the industry.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
In conclusion, Michael Ciminella is a successful businessman and entrepreneur. He has been married to Naomi Judd for over 20 years and they have three children together. He is a doting father and husband, and the couple seems very happy together.
Ciminella has always been supportive of Judd’s career and is proud of her achievements. He is a private person and does not seek the limelight, preferring to let his wife take the spotlight. However, he is a very important part of her life and she would not be where she is today without him.
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