Photo: Getty Images
Nicole Kidman was unable to accept her award for Best Actress at this year's Venice Film Festival after receiving the tragic news that her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, 84, had passed away on Saturday (September 7).
According to People, the 57-year-old standout flew to Venice to accept the award for her role in 2024's Babygirl, but left suddenly after receiving news of her mother's death.
Babygirl director Halina Reijn accepted the star's award in her absence and read her speech aloud to the audience, gifting the honor to her deceased mother.
"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. I am 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."
The Practical Magic alum spoke of the eternal bond she shared with her mother in a 2020 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, revealing that Janelle supported her throughout her entire career and played a crucial role in helping achieving her goals.
"She's given me the fire to pursue the career I have because I’ve always wanted to please her. But she also carved her own path and wanted her daughters to have the same opportunity to carve their own paths. 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."
Kidman and family ask for privacy as they attempt to navigate the painful loss of their "beautiful, bold" matriarch.