Ashley Judd is an American actress and activist known for being one of the leading ladies of the 1990s. She was born on April 19, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, as Ashley Tyler Ciminella to country music singer, Naomi Judd, and marketing analyst, Michael Ciminella. Judd’s parents divorced when she was four and her half-sister, Wynonna Judd, paired up with their mother and formed the musical duo, The Judds.

Unlike her family, Judd pursued a full-time acting career after graduating from the University of Kentucky. She played minor roles before landing the lead character in the 1993 film “Ruby in Paradise”. Her performance of Ruby Lee Gissing was positively received and launched her to mainstream stardom. Throughout the 1990s, Judd would grace the silver screen alongside actors such as Matthew McConaughey and Val Kilmer.
Among Judd’s best works include Wayne Wang’s “Smoke”, Michael Mann’s “Heat”, and the 1996 film, “Norma Jean and Marilyn”, which she co-starred with Mira Sorvino. The actress also played a supporting role in the 1996 box office hit “A Time To Kill” where she portrayed McConaughey’s wife. By the end of the decade, Judd had established herself as leading lady material with other commercial successes like “Kiss The Girls” and “Double Jeopardy”.
Judd embodies the typical Hollywood female lead: gorgeous, witty, and with plenty of charisma. However, if there’s one thing she’s proved over the years, it’s that she’s more than eye candy. Judd has plenty of controversial takes on motherhood and has been very vocal about women’s rights. The actress’s decision to stay out of the spotlight and abstain from children got fans asking: is Ashley Judd gay? Read on below to find out.
VOTE: What is Ashley Judd’s Sexuality?
Ashley Judd’s Relationships
As one of Tinseltown’s most beautiful actresses, Ashley Judd had plenty of heartthrobs in her dating history. She was first rumored to be dating X-Files hunk David Duchovny and then American baseball player Brady Anderson. Both affairs were said to be short-lived and fizzled out before the press caught on to the details.
In 1991, the actress went out with country singer Lyle Lovett. The pair dated for several months and separated in 1992 with Lovett eventually marrying Julia Roberts. By 1995, Judd was romantically linked to three different men including Robert De Niro, Michael English, and Matthew McConaughey. She met McConaughey while filming “A Time To Kill” and the couple were reported to be dating until 1996.
Shortly after breaking up with her co-star, Judd dated another actor, Josh Charles. They were photographed together for a few events but the relationship didn’t last long. The actress then met her 1970s dreamboat, Michael Bolton, while filming a music video. Although it was love at first sight, they only dated for a year before calling it quits. Luckily, the two remained good friends.
In 1999, Judd met her future husband, Dario Franchitti, at a mutual friend’s wedding reception. He was a motor racing driver and motorsport commentator from Scotland. The couple hit it off and, after two years of dating, they tied the knot in Franchitti’s home country. Unfortunately, the relationship wasn’t meant to be and, after more than a decade of marriage, Judd and Franchitti filed for divorce.
Unlike other Hollywood separations, theirs was an amicable one. The pair remained on good terms even after Franchitti married his second wife, Eleanor Robb. In fact, the actress is the godmother to one of his daughters with Robb. When questioned about her former husband, Judd had nothing but good things to say about him.
He’ll always be my loved one. Even before our wedding, we agreed not to tell people about our relationship, but to show them instead. What we’re showing them now is we’re human, we’re family, and this is what family looks like.”
Ashley Judd to Ladies’ Home Journal, 2014

It’s believed that the Double Jeopardy actress is currently single and instead focusing on her humanitarian efforts.
Ashley Judd VS Harvey Weinstein
In 2015, Judd revealed in an exclusive interview with Variety that she was sexually harassed by a well-known producer in Hollywood. At the time, she didn’t name the studio mogul, but the story was enough to ignite rumors. By 2018, the actress claimed that it was Miramax founder, Harvey Weinstein, who made sexual advances towards her.
According to Judd, Weinstein harassed her during the filming of “Kiss The Girls” in 1997. The producer “lured her to his hotel room, asked her to watch him shower, and tried to give her a massage.” However, the actress rejected his actions, leading Weinstein to blacklist her from projects and eventually destroying her career.
On April 30, 2018, Judd officially filed a defamation and sexual harassment lawsuit against the producer. Her decision coincided with the peak of the #MeToo movement when multiple women were calling out their abusers on social media. After a difficult and lengthy legal battle, the actress won the case against Weinstein. In an official statement, Judd’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, shared his thoughts on the victory.
This is an important victory not only for Ms. Judd but for all victims of sexual harassment in professional relationships. The court correctly holds that California law forbids sexual harassment and retaliation by film producers and others in powerful positions, even outside the employment context, and we look forward to pursuing this claim against Mr Weinstein at trial.”
Theodore Boutrous’ official statement, 2020
The Actress on Motherhood and Sexuality
Despite several relationships and a long-term marriage, Ashley Judd has no children of her own. For the longest time, many people speculated that this is likely because the actress is a closeted gay or lesbian. However, Judd has never publicly addressed her sexuality. On the other hand, she is outspoken about being an antinatalist.
According to the actress, it’s a personal choice for her to not have kids, especially when there are millions of suffering children around the world. Judd’s experiences with sexual assault may also contribute to her rejection of procreation. During the Women in the World Summit in 2019, she addressed Georgia’s abortion ban. Judd revealed that she had been raped three times, with one of the assaults leading to conception.
As everyone knows, and I’m very open about it, I’m a three-time rape survivor. One of the times that I was raped there was conception and I’m very thankful I was able to access safe and legal abortion. Because the rapist, who is a Kentuckian, as am I, and I reside in Tennessee, has paternity rights in Kentucky and Tennessee. I would’ve had to co-parent with my rapist.”
Ashley Judd on Women in the World Summit, 2019
Is Ashley Judd Gay?
No, Ashley Judd is not gay. The actress has only been in relationships with men and was previously married to a man once. Although she has no children of her own, her decision is in no way related to her sexuality. Based on these facts, it’s safe to assume that Judd is straight.