Nicole Kidman candidly recalls the 'harrowing' moment she learned of her mother's passing at Venice Film Festival

Nicole Kidman emotionally recalled the 'harrowing' moment that she learned of her mother's death while attending the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

The 58-year-old actress - who recently revealed that she is learning to be a death doula - opened up about the topic while speaking at HISTORYTalks 2026 in Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Oscar winner's mom Janelle passed away in September 2024 at the age of 84 - just hours before she accepted the Volpi Cup award at the ceremony for her performance in Babygirl.

'I'd won best actress at Venice Film Festival. This seems to be such a common theme through my life,' she expressed to the crowd inside the Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

'I was about to go on stage, and I found out my mother had died,' she remembered. 

Kidman explained that she quickly returned to her hotel room in Venice and had been left 'completely devastated.' 

The actress got candid about the struggles she faced because her late mom had been 'so much a part of my existence, so the idea of being there at that particular moment was harrowing.'

Kidman added, 'I remember getting into a boat in the canal, and literally at night trying to find my way to the airport, and then turning around and going, I can't even do this.'

The Moulin Rouge actress said that she had felt so 'alone' since her then-husband Keith Urban and their children did not accompany her to Venice at the time. 

'I'd gone to win an award. What should have been a beautiful thing, ended up with that.'

She continued, 'But there is the contrast of life, and that's what I always say to people. I say that's when I know I'm resilient. That's when I know I can survive pretty much anything.' 

The star then said her recent revelation that she was learning to be a death doula had left people 'confused or intrigued.' 

Kidman discussed her interest in the practice while attending University Of San Francisco's Silk Speaker Series earlier this month. 

She told the crowd that it 'sounds a little weird' but explained she wants to help people during their last few weeks on Earth. 

'My father was very involved with palliative care. There are birth doulas and recently I learned about death doulas,' she said at the event attended by The Daily Mail.

'As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide.' 

Kidman shared that both she and her sister Antonia had hired a death doula to be with their mother before her passing. 

'That's when I went, "I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care." I feel it's really important to have care on earth for the beginning and the end.' 

The Eyes Wide Shut actress later reflected on how she has grown throughout hardships in her life. 

'Sometimes you're going to have to take it on the chin and that's okay. It's your life and you define it.'

She added, 'Who cares what someone else thinks? Don't give your power to anybody else. They don't get to define you.' 

At the time of their mother's death in September 2024, both Kidman and her sister shared an emotional tribute in a joint statement. 

'My sister and I along with our family want to thank you for the outpouring of love and kindness we have felt this week,' they expressed. 

'Every message we have received from those who loved and admired our Mother has meant more to us than we will ever be able to express. Thank you from our whole family for respecting our privacy as we take care of each other.'

Upon learning of her mother's death, Kidman left the Venice Film Festival early. 

Babygirl director Halina Reijn shared a statement from Kidman at the time which read: 'Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed.

'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.' 

The message concluded with, '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. We love you all.' 

The following month, Kidman was seen being comforted by ex-husband Keith Urban at her mother's funeral in Sydney, Australia. 

The actress's father Antony died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 75 in 2014.

And last month in March, Kidman shared a moving tribute to mom Janelle on what would have been her 86th birthday. 

She uploaded a throwback photo of herself with her mother and wrote in the caption, 'Remembering my Mumma on her birthday. Always in my heart Mumma.' 

Before making an appearance at the HISTORYTalks 2026 event over the weekend, Kidman attended 2026 CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week on Tuesday. 

She reunited with Sandra Bullock as they teased their upcoming sequel Practical Magic 2.