Naomi Judd's husband, Larry Strickland, spoke candidly about the singer's "tough" final months before her death.
Judd's family members had to deal with the darkest moment in their lives after the matriarch was found dead after committing suicide by self-inflicting a gunshot wound. She ultimately passed away on April 30 at the age of 76.
Months after her passing, Judd's husband opened up about her last months and recalled how "tough" and "chaotic" those times were.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Strickland talked about his wife and shared what her last moments looked like.
"It was a very chaotic, hectic, hectic time. It was extremely hard," he said. "She had several therapists that she was seeing, and her energy level had gotten really low. She was getting really weak."
Strickland admitted that he was aware of his wife's struggles and personal battles. However, he reportedly did not know how bad things already became.
He recalled trying to get Judd to eat her meal and exercise. He also handled her medications to ensure she was taking them at the right time.
But despite doing everything he could, he and his family still lost the singer.
Larry Strickland Has Wishes After Naomi Judd's Death
Elsewhere in the interview, the former backup singer for Elvis Presley opened up about his wishes he handled his wife's issues differently despite doing his best to manage them.
Per Strickland, he would have been softer toward her and gentler if he knew she was going to die. He admitted feeling exhausted because everything also wore him out.
He added that he could have treated her way better and held her closer to him.
Throughout their marriage, Strickland remained dedicated and devoted to his wife and assisted her in everything. Instead of taking care of himself, he always made sure Judd was well taken care of.
After the country singer's death, the patriarch has been receiving support from Ashley and Wynonna Judd. He also shares his progress and mental health journey through the Academy of Country Music's Lifting Lives1's "The Check-In."
Strickland also dedicates some of his time to working with the National Association of Mental Illness.
Judd had been open about her mental health struggles in the years leading to her death. She shared her story for the first time in her 2016 book, "River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope." At that time, she revealed that she experienced the worst after her tour since she was suppressing her memories related to child molestation.
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