A big and small career change.
Nicole Kidman revealed on Saturday that the death of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, in September 2024 inspired her to become a death doula, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The 58-year-old actress admitted to University of San Francisco students during the school’s Silk Speaker Series that the profession “sounds a little strange,” but explained why it’s part of her “expansion.”
“My mom passed away and I was lonely, so my family was limited in what they could provide,” the “Big Little Lies” star explained over the weekend.
“My sister[Antonia Kidman]and I have a lot of kids and a lot of careers and jobs,” Nicole continued. “We wanted to take care of her because her father (Anthony Kidman) was no longer in this world.”
In particular, Anthony passed away in September 2014 at the age of 75.
On Janelle’s last day, Nicole thought:
“So,” the Oscar winner declared, “that’s one thing I’m going to learn from this.”
According to the International End-of-Life Doula Association, a death doula is a “non-medical professional” who provides support to people “coping with death, loss, and dying.”
At the time of Janelle’s death, Nicole had just arrived in Italy to attend the Venice Film Festival to accept the Best Actress award for “Baby Girl.”
She said in a statement that she had lost her “beautiful and brave mother” and was “in shock and must go to her family.”
Nicole spoke passionately about how her late parents “shaped,” “guided” and “made” her, concluding, “My heart is breaking.”
Her then-husband, Keith Urban, then updated the Times on how the Golden Globe winner was doing, saying that his wife was “doing well.”
Three months later, Nicole broke her grieving silence on an emotional CBS Sunday Morning show, revealing the last conversation she had with her mother.
“I was going to get on a plane and go back to see her,” Nicole told viewers in December 2024. “And she said, ‘Wait a minute. I think you need to take care of yourself right now, Nicki.’
Nicole was married to Urban at the time, but the following year, news broke that the two had divorced after 19 years of marriage and two children.
When the divorce was finalized in January, Nicole was given primary custody of daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15, with the country singer having custody of the girls “every other week.”
