Inside Nicole Kidman’s very close relationship with her beloved mother Janelle as she dies at the age of 83 – just hours before the actress’ Venice Film Festival win

Nicole Kidman expressed her sadness on Saturday as she announced the death of her beloved mother at the age of 83.

The 57-year-old Australian actress was forced to leave the Venice Film Festival after the devastating news to return to her hometown of Sydney to be with her family.

Her mother Janelle tragically passed away just hours before Nicole was awarded Best Actress for her role in Babygirl on the final day of the Venice Film Festival. That’s a huge achievement.

“Today I arrived in Venice and shortly after I learned that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman passed away,” Nicole revealed in a statement read by director Halina Reijn after her win.

“I am in shock and have to go to my family, but this award is for her. She shaped me, guided me and made me.”

“I am beyond grateful to be able to say her name to all of you through Halina, the collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken. We love you all.”

Nicole has long had a particularly close bond with her beloved mother Janelle and has often spoken about her support and influence on her career over the years.

Nicole was born in Honolulu and raised in Sydney by her beloved mother Janelle and her psychologist father Antony, who passed away in September 2014.

After living in the United States for a time, the Moulin Rouge star and her younger sister Antonia, 54, spent much of their childhood in Sydney.

Nicole pursued her passion for acting as a teenager and was supported by her parents as she rose to worldwide fame.

They both remained closely involved in her career over the years, with Nicole recently admitting that she still sought her mother’s advice.

In November, the Big Little Lies star shared how she often asks her mother Janelle for advice on her outfits, despite working with a slew of professional stylists.

In a sign of their close bond, Nicole told People, “My mom is still — she’s so involved in what I wear.”

Nicole is known for her bold fashion choices, but shares how it was her mother and grandmother who sparked her love of clothes.

“I love fashion. I’ve always loved fashion,” she enthused while speaking at the launch of Planet Omega pop-up in New York.

“I grew up as a little girl with a grandmother who loved fashion and could sew, and my mother too. They loved beautiful clothes. They could make beautiful clothes,” she continued.

“I’ve seen them sewing, embroidering, knitting, crocheting. And I think when you grow up and see people in your household doing that, you love it.”

Nicole has never been shy about expressing her affection for Janelle, paying a touching tribute on her mother’s 82nd birthday last year.

She posted a photo gallery on Instagram of herself and her family celebrating with Janelle, captioning it with some sweet words.

“Congratulations, Mom. You are so loved by all of us,” Nicole wrote.

She also took the time to wish her mother a happy birthday when she walked the red carpet at the Oscars in Los Angeles with her husband Keith Urban.

“Today is my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday, Mom. We love you so much,” Nicole said to the camera.

“We had a party for her when we got back to Sydney. She’s the heartbeat of our family, so we love you, Mum.”

On Australian Mother’s Day 2022, Nicole also shared sweet, throwback photos of Janelle holding her as a baby in Hawaii, where she was born.

“Reminiscing… beautiful memories with my mom in Hawaii,” Nicole wrote in a reflective caption.

‘Happy Mother’s Day Mom, and to all the mothers in the world… Happy Mother’s Day.’

Earlier that same year, Nicole, who splits her time between Australia and the US, also spent an extended period in her home country to be with Janelle.

Nicole said at the time that she was taking some time off to care for her mother, who was going through a period of illness due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re mainly here to take care of my mom and let her enjoy her grandchildren,” she told the Fresh Air podcast.

Nicole said they had visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales after closing time to see the Matisse exhibition, which she described as a “calming balm.”

She continued, “Luckily, even though Omikron is racing through this country, we were able to take her to the gallery after hours yesterday and show her the Matisse exhibition. And coming from a mother who raised me in art, it was a soothing balm. Matisse was a soothing balm last night.”

Nicole also spoke enthusiastically about how privileged she felt to see the world through her mother’s eyes, describing it as “so precious.”

“I’m at the point where I have the opportunity to see the world. Because we’re so close, my mother gives me the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of an 81-year-old woman,” she explains.

“That’s so advantageous now, because she’s so aware. She has all the available brain faculties, so she hasn’t lost anything. She hasn’t lost any memory, which is fascinating, and she’s extremely smart.

“She gives me access, because she is also very direct and honest. So I get access to the world through her eyes, my mother’s eyes, and therefore a part of me at almost 80.”

“It’s her perspective, of course. There are many different 80-year-old perspectives, but it’s her perspective and her particular path, but I drink it in and learn from it,” she added.

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald In May 2020, Nicole also shared that she missed her mother when she lived in the United States.

“I would love to have a cup of tea with my mom and sit on the balcony and talk about life while she tells me what to do,” she said at the time.

Nicole also had a close bond with her father Antony and was devastated when he died of a heart attack in September 2014 at the age of 75.

The Oscar-winning actress previously admitted that the “sudden” death of her father, and a series of other losses, had affected her deeply.

“I’ve had death come to me very suddenly. I haven’t helped anyone through a slow death, I’ve just had people taken away,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2020.

‘I’ve been through it before, I’m almost scared to say it because I’m terrified it will happen again. I’m still very scared of it.’

That same year, Nicole also paid tribute to her father on the anniversary of his death, saying that she and her sister Nicole could always turn to him for advice.

“My sister and I were talking recently about how lucky we were because I always asked my dad for advice, and my mom too,” she said.

Nicole also shared that she was reminded of her father when she starred opposite Donald Sutherland in the 2020 thriller series The Undoing.

“Donald is the same size as my dad, and he reminds me of my dad,” she said. “So I would go up to him and hug him all the time.”