A career milestone… and a personal tragedy.
Nicole Kidman announced the death of her mother Janelle on September 6, the same day she made her debut with ” baby girl at the Venice Film Festival.
Kidman’s mother is 84 years old.
The sad news was confirmed in a statement read on stage by Halina Rejn, Kidman’s director in the aforementioned film.
“Today, shortly after arriving in Venice, I discovered that my beautiful and courageous mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, had just passed away,” Kidman’s message said. “I was shocked and I had to go find my family.”
The statement continued,
“But this award belongs to her. She shaped me, she guided me, she created me. I am so grateful to be able to speak her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heart-warming Broken, my heart is broken.
The cause of Janelle’s death is unclear at this time.
Kidman’s mother, a nursing coach, has suffered from poor health in recent years.
In 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy Award winner said she returned to her family’s native Australia to be with her ailing parents.
“We came here mainly to take care of my mother,” the 57-year-old told NPR in January. “Surrounding her with her grandchildren.”
Kidman added at the time:
“I now have the opportunity to see the world – because we’re so close together, my mom gives me the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of an 81-year-old woman. That’s very beneficial right now because she’s very cognitive.
“She has all the abilities available to her, the abilities of her brain. She hasn’t lost anything. She hasn’t lost any memories, which is interesting.
In 2020, Kidman spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald about the impact her mother had on her life and amazing career.
“She gave me the passion to pursue my career because I always wanted to please her,” Kidman told the outlet, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
“But she also forged her own path and wanted her daughters to have the same opportunity to forge their own path…
“My mom didn’t necessarily get the career she wanted, but she was determined that her daughters would have equal opportunities. That gave me life. She gave me life, her and my dad.
Our condolences go out to Nicole Kidman, her friends, family, and everyone who knew Janelle.
