Nicole Kidman misses Venice Film Festival award, returns to Australia after mother’s death

Nicole Kidman arrived at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Sept. 7, only to turn around and head back home to Australia when she learned that her mother had passed away.

Janelle Ann Kidman had been in poor health since at least 2022, according to interviews the Oscar winner gave at the time, but the death of Kidman’s mother was evidently unexpected. She was 84.

Kidman announced her mother’s passing via her director Halina Reijn, who accepted Kidman’s Best Actress award at the festival for her work in the film Babygirl. According to video shot by Deadline, Reijn quoted the star saying, “Today, I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed.”

At this, there was an audible gasp from the crowd.

“I am in shock and I have to go to my family,” Kidman’s statement continued. 

Reijn continued to quote Kidman’s statement; in it, the actress said of her mother: “This award is for her. She shaped me, she guided me and she made me. I’m beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken.”

Filmmaker Brady Corbet, who took the podium next to accept his Silver Lion award for his film The Brutalist, expressed his condolences to Kidman and her family.

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