Nicole Kidman has opened up about the poignant last conversation she had with her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, before her passing in September.
Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning, the 57-year-old actress reflected on her mother’s final words, which carried a profound message.
“The final words my mama said, which I didn’t know were gonna be the final words … I was going to get on a plane and go back to see her,” Kidman shared.
“And she was like, ‘Maybe wait a minute because I think you just need to take care of yourself right now, Nicky.’”
The Perfect Couple star revealed that her mother’s advice has inspired her to prioritize her own well-being, a message she now wants to share with others, especially women.
“So, I’m doing that more. And I say that to other people in the world, and particularly women. I think we tend not to take care of ourselves,” she said.
Kidman added that her mother’s words resonate deeply with her role as a mother of four. The Oscar-winning actress shares daughter Isabella, 31, and son Connor, 29, with ex-husband Tom Cruise, as well as daughters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 13, with husband Keith Urban.
“Obviously, I’m an older mother, so I want to be around for a long time for my girls,” she said, referring to her teenage daughters. “They’re amazing girls and I’m lucky to have them. So taking care of myself means so that I can take care of them.”
Janelle Ann Kidman passed away at the age of 84 on September 7.
Kidman, who was in Venice at the time for the Venice Film Festival, left the event early upon hearing the news.
“Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed,” the Big Little Lies star said in a written statement read by Babygirl director Halina Reijn.
“I am 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,” Kidman’s statement continued. “I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heart-breaking, and my heart is broken.”
Kidman made her first public appearance after her mother’s death on September 30 at the Balenciaga fashion show during Paris Fashion Week.
The following month, she became emotional while discussing her mother at the season two premiere of Lioness.
“It’s been hard,” Kidman told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a hard road. I’m hanging in there.”
“I wish my mama was here,” she added tearfully. “That’d be the one thing I’d say. Everything is great with work, but I wish my mama was here.”