Nicole Kidman left heartbroken as she shares devastating news of mom's sudden death

Nicole Kidman's beloved mother Janelle Ann Kidman has died at the age of 84.

Nicole arrived in Venice, Italy for the Venice Film Festival award ceremony, where she won Best Actress for her role in Babygirl , but it was her director Halina Rejn who accepted the award, after she left following the sudden death of Janelle.

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"T oday I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed," Nicole said in a statement, read out  by Halina.

"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. 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."

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In 2022 Nicole revealed that Janelle, then 81, was in poor health.

She returned to her native Australia and told NPR's Fresh Air podcast that she was "down here [in Australia] primarily to take care of my mother and to have her surrounded by her grandchildren".

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"So luckily, yesterday – even though [COVID-19 strain] Omicron is raging through this country – we were able to take her into the gallery after hours and show her the Matisse exhibit, which, coming from a mother who’s raised me in the arts, was very, very… it was a soothing balm."

Nicole was incredibly close with her mom, and she often credited her for helping Nicole find a love of acting.

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Nicole now lives in Nashville, America with her husband Keith and their teen daughters , Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, but she remained in regular touch with her mom.

"I would love to be able to have a cup of tea with mum and sit on the balcony and talk about life, and have her tell me what I should be doing," Nicole told The Sydney Morning Herald in May 2020.

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Nicole won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony for her work in Babygirl, which follows Nicole's high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

It also stars Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas, and she was joined by the pair at the red carpet in late August.

She left Venice to return to Los Angeles where she walked the red carpet for her new Netflix drama, The Perfect Couple, and had returned to Italy to accept her honor.