Nicole Kidman was named best actress at the festival for her performance in 'Babygirl'. Photo: AFP
Nicole Kidman fled the Venice Film Festival Awards without collecting the best actress trophy for her performance in Babygirl after learning her mother had died.
Janelle Ann Kidman was 84.
“Today I arrived in Venice to learn shortly thereafter that my beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has just passed,” Kidman wrote in a statement read by Babygirl director Halina Reijn, who accepted the award on her behalf.
“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’m beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of art and life is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken.”
Kidman, 57, has received numerous accolades for her portrayal of a high-powered, married CEO entangled in a steamy affair with a much younger intern that turns dark, jeopardising her personal life and career. Antonio Banderas plays her doting husband, and Harris Dickinson plays the intern.
Reijn read the actress’s words before a packed house, concluding, “We love you all, Nicole.”
Kidman’s rep confirmed her mother’s death, telling People, “The family is heartbroken and asks for privacy at this time.”
Janelle Kidman was a nursing instructor and part of the Australian feminist group the Women’s Electoral Lobby, according to Variety.
A cause of death was not given, though Janelle Kidman had a history of heart issues, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), which reported she was hospitalised in Sydney in 2016.
Nicole Kidman told NPR’s Fresh Air in 2022 that she had returned to Australia to care for her mother, ABC reported.
Her father, Tony Kidman, died in 2014.
Babygirl is set to open at cinemas in the United States in December. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
