Nicole Kidman recalls devastating moment she learned of her mother’s death
The actress's mother, Janelle Ann Kidman was later honored during her Best Actress acceptance statement
Nicole Kidman has shared, for the first time in detail, the emotional moment she learned her mother had died just as she was preparing to accept a major award at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
Speaking at HISTORYTalks in Philadelphia on Saturday, the 58-year-old actress reflected on what she described as an “enormous high” turning into sudden devastation after receiving the news about her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.
“I was about to go onstage and I found out my mother had died and I went right back to the room in Venice, got into bed and was completely devastated and thought, ‘I do not know how I’m gonna move forward or function now,’” Kidman said.
At the time, Kidman had just been awarded Best Actress for her performance in Babygirl and was preparing for a celebratory moment at the Venice Film Festival. Instead, she said the experience became an overwhelming emotional contrast between professional triumph and personal loss.
Recalling the hours that followed, Kidman described attempting to leave Venice in the middle of the night to be with her family.
“I remember getting into a boat in the canal, literally at night, trying to find my way to the airport, and then turning around going, ‘I can’t even do this,’” she said. “Then I went back to bed. And I was alone. My husband wasn’t there, my children weren’t there.”
She added that the moment stayed with her as a stark reminder of life’s unpredictability. “That there is the contrast of life,” she said.
Kidman also said the experience ultimately reinforced her sense of resilience. “It reminded me that I am resilient and I can survive pretty much anything,” she told the audience, adding, “Don’t ever let anyone break your spirit.”
At the Venice Film Festival in September 2024, Babygirl director Halina Reijn read a statement on Kidman’s behalf during what would have been her acceptance speech. In the message, Kidman confirmed she had flown to Venice only to learn of her mother’s passing shortly after arrival.
“My beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has just passed,” the statement read. “I’m 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.”
Kidman also paid tribute to her mother’s life and sacrifices, describing her as “exceptionally smart” and reflecting on how she had supported her family while not pursuing the career she once envisioned.
“The collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken,” the statement concluded.