Trivia

Turned down a larger role in Kuffs (1992) because she was asked to do nude scenes. She responded, "My mother worked too hard for me to take my clothes off in my first movie."

Her first screen kiss was with Wil Wheaton on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).

First celebrity to go public with her allegations of sexual misconduct against producer Harvey Weinstein, as reported by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey in the New York Times (October 5, 2017).

Speaks French fluently.

Mother and sister are country singers Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mother's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day.

Was among 4,000 students who graduated on May 6, 2007 from the University of Kentucky. Attended the university from 1986 to 1990 but left one course shy of graduation. Finished the work 17 years later and received a Bachelor's degree in French.

On the television show Who Do You Think You Are? (2010), Ashley wanted to learn more about her father's side of the family. She discovered that her third great grandfather was a union soldier in the Civil War who was taken prisoner twice and had his leg cut off after a battlefield injury. On another branch of her father's family, she discovered that she descends from a man who was on the Mayflower who had been imprisoned in England.

Though she appeared in only two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), her character was loved by fans. Her image even appears on the Star Trek book "End Game" (Star Trek New Frontier, No 4) by Peter David.

On 19th March 2015, Judd wrote an article for MIC article entitled 'Forget Your Team: Your Online Violence Toward Girls and Women Is What Can Kiss My Ass' where she addressed online gender violence. In the same article, she also included her story of surviving being raped by two adult family members when she was a child, "I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest. I am greatly blessed that in 2006, other thriving survivors introduced me to recovery. I seized it." Judd goes on to discuss her recovery process, and how, through therapy, she was able to confront the trolls on Twitter who were threatening sexual violence against her.

Was named after Ashland, Kentucky and is an eighth-generation Kentuckian.

On Feb 13, 2021 she shattered her leg while visiting Africa. She was there to raise awareness for animal protection and poverty. At the time of the accident she was studying the endangered bonobos. The accident occurred when she was walking with a powerful stride and tripped over a tree. She said she instantly new her leg was broken. It took an incredible harrowing 55 hours to get her to a hospital in South Africa and if it wasn't for the help of her Congolese friends she would have lost her leg.

She was able to play both a teenager and a thirty-year-old in the role of Vivian "Vivi" Walker in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002).

Has co-starred with Morgan Freeman in four films: Kiss the Girls (1997), High Crimes (2002), Dolphin Tale (2011), Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and Dolphin Tale 2 (2014). They shared scenes in all of them except for 'Olympus has Fallen'.

Known to be a avid fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, once not showering because she felt it would jinx them. For a cheerleading scene in her movie Someone Like You (2001), she uses the Wildcats' cheerleaders' cheer routine, and thanks them in the credits.

Cambridge, MA, USA: Enrolled at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government to earn a one-year Mid-Career Master's degree in Public Administration (MC/MPA). (August 2009)

Worldwide Spokesperson for Youth AIDS International.

A descendant on her mother's side of Edward Seymour whose sister Jane was married to Henry VIII. She also descends from John of Gaunt (who was the son of King Edward III) and his third wife Katharine De Roet Swynford.

Bakes chocolate chip cookies as a means to relieve stress.

Her mother, Naomi Judd, has publicly objected to many of Ashley's movies because they contain either profanity, nudity, sex or violence.

She attended 12 schools in 13 years before college. She was a sister of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.

On January 29, 2013, Judd and Dario Franchitti announced that they were divorcing with this statement: "We have mutually decided to end our marriage. We'll always be family and continue to cherish our relationship based on the special love, integrity and respect we have always enjoyed.".

Her paternal grandfather, Michael Lawrence Ciminella, was born in Westfield, Chautauqua, New York, to Sicilian-Italian immigrants. The remainder of her ancestry is English, along with smaller amounts (to varying degrees) of Scottish, Irish, German, Welsh, and Swiss-German.

Gave testimony to U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "Stopping Cross Generational Sex and Sexual Violence to Protect Young Women from AIDS in Developing Countries: A Call to Action", June 23, 2005, as Global Ambassador for Youth AIDS and member of the Board of Directors of Population Services International (PSI).

In February 2006, she started a 47-day stay for the treatment of long-term depression in a Texas rehab center. (source: Entertainment Weekly, issue #934, May 18, 2007).

She had a role in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), but it was left on the cutting room floor.

Worked as a waitress at the trendy 'Ivy' restaurant while studying the Sanford Meisner technique of acting at Playhouse West in Los Angeles.

Good friends with Salma Hayek and Joey Lauren Adams.

Is a practitioner of Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Judo, & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

(1996, 2000 and 2002) Named one of "The 50 Most Beautful People in the World" by People magazine.

Publicly announced her engagement to racer Dario Franchitti; they had been engaged since December 1999. (December 2001) Married at Skibo Castle near Dornoch, in Sutherland, Scotland, the same castle that hosted Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie a year earlier. (April 2000)

Received a Mid-Career Master's degree in Public Administration (MC/MPA) from Harvard University in May 2010; this is a one-year course of study.

Distant cousin of Seth MacFarlane and Rachael MacFarlane. Both are descendants of William Brewster (c. 1566-1644), a noted Pilgrim, and wife Mary, who came over to Massachusetts, America, as Mayflower passengers.

Drove from Memphis, Tennessee to Los Angeles, California at age 22 to begin her rise to fame.

Could have had Pamela Anderson's role on Home Improvement (1991), but wanted to concentrate on making it in the movies instead. She later starred in Where the Heart Is (2000), which was directed by Matt Williams, the producer who wanted her on the sitcom.

Named one of the "25 Most Intriguing People" by People magazine. (1999)

Her father, Michael Ciminella, a marketing specialist in the horseracing industry, divorced Naomi Judd in 1972.

Was once considered for the female lead in Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Visited Guatemala from 2 May 2006 to 5 May 2006, along with Salma Hayek and Colombian singer Juanes, as part of a Youth/AIDS campaign.

Is an enthusiast of the 'cockapoo' breed of dog (cross-bred cocker spaniels and poodles). Has a dog named "Buttermilk" and a tabby named "Buttercup".

Has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky [April 12, 2013].

Was Janet Tamaro's original choice for the role of Jane Rizzoli in Rizzoli & Isles (2010) but declined the part & the role was given to Angie Harmon instead.

Models a Hello Kitty t-shirt with the words "Handle with Care" printed on the front. Proceeds go to the Youth AIDS Foundation. (2003).

A self-proclaimed feminist

Presented all the clues on the 'The World AIDS Crisis' category on the 12/2/2005 episode of the game show Jeopardy! (1984).

Attended art school in France.

Fractured her right ankle when she was thrown from a horse's saddle in Franklin, Tennessee. She was hospitalized for two days. (November 23, 1993)

The global ambassador for YouthAIDS, an international health initiative to raise awareness and combat the spread of H.I.V./AIDS. (November 2004)

Presented to the National Press Club on June 22, 2005 as a spokesperson for Youth AIDS International.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. (Her name was misspelled on the ballot as "Ashey Judd" by the way.) She was suggested in the Worst Actress category for her performance in the film Twisted (2004), she did not receive a nomination however.

Modeled her "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" t-shirt for the Ms. Foundation and Ms. Online (ms.magazine.com), as have Whoopi Goldberg, Camryn Manheim and Margaret Cho.