Nicole Kidman Leaves Venice Film Festival Early After Mother Janelle Died

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Nicole Kidman Dedicates Venice Film Festival Award to ‘Brave’ Mother Janelle Who ‘Just Passed’

Nicole Kidman Dave Benett/WireImage
Nicole Kidman’s mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has died.

Nicole, 57, confirmed her mom’s death in a statement read by Babygirl director Halina Reijn during a Venice International Film Festival panel. (Kidman made an early exit from the red carpet event in light of the news.)

“Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed,” Reijn, 38, read on Kidman’s behalf on Saturday, September 7. “I am in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her, she shaped me, she guided me and she made me.”

The statement continued, “I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina, the collision of life and art is heart-breaking, and my heart is broken.”

Reijn then added, “We love you all, Nicole.”

The Perfect Couple star won the best actress prize at the film festival for her role in Babygirl.

A cause of death for Janelle has not been confirmed, with a rep for the Oscar winner telling Us Weekly that she was “heartbroken” by the news.

“The family is heartbroken and asks for privacy at this time,” Kidman’s spokesperson told Us in a statement.

Nicole previously hinted that her mother was in ailing health.

“We’re down here [in Australia] primarily to take care of my mother and to have her surrounded by her grandchildren,” Nicole said on NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast in January 2022. “So luckily, last — yesterday, even though [COVID-19 strain] Omicron is raging through this country, we were able to take her into the gallery after hours and show her the Matisse exhibit, which, coming from a mother who’s raised me in the arts was very, very — it was soothing balm.”

Nicole lives Down Under with her husband, country singer Keith Urban, and their teenage daughters Sunday, 15, and Faith, 13. (Nicole is also mom to two adult children with ex-husband Tom Cruise.)

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Nicole had long praised her mother’s support as she became both a parent and an actress.

“She’s given me the fire to pursue the career I have because I’ve always wanted to please her,” Nicole told the Sydney Morning Herald in a 2020 profile. “But she also carved her own path and wanted her daughters to have the same opportunity to carve their own paths.”

The Big Little Lies alum continued, “Mum didn’t necessarily get the career that she wanted, but she was determined that her daughters would have opportunities that were equal. That’s given me my life. And she gave me my life, she and my dad.”