Nicole Kidman stays in Australia to take care of 81-year-old unwell mother
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Award-winning Aussie actress Nicole Kidman returned home to Australia last month for the local premiere of her latest film Being the Ricardos.
However, during an interview with the Fresh Air podcast on Wednesday, she revealed that her 81-year-old mother, Janelle, is currently battling health issues.
“We're down here primarily to take care of my mother and to have her surrounded by her grandchildren,” said the Big Little Lies actress.
Nicole Kidman said she’s staying in Australia “primarily to take care” of her beloved mother, Janelle. Credit: Getty Images.
During the interview, Nicole also shared that they took a night tour at the Matisse: Life & Spirit exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW and called the experience a “soothing balm”.
“Luckily yesterday, even though Omicron is raging through this country, we were able to take her into the gallery after hours and show her the Matisse exhibit,” said the 54-year-old actress.
“Coming from a mother who's raised me in the arts, it was a soothing balm. Matisse was a soothing balm last night.”
She later went on to describe how spending time with her mum brought them closer together, allowing her to see the world through her mother’s perspective.
“I'm at the place where I'm being given a chance to view the world. Because of how close we are, my mum is giving me the chance to view the world through an 81-year-old woman's eyes,” she said.
“That is so beneficial right now because she's so cognizant. She has every brain faculty available, so she hasn't lost anything. She hasn't lost any memory, which is fascinating, and she's extremely bright.”
“She's giving me access because she's also very direct and very honest, and so I'm getting access to the world through her eyes, my mother's eyes,” she added. “Therefore, a part of me is almost at 80.”
“It's her perspective, obviously. There are many different 80-year-old perspectives, but it's her perspective and her particular path, but I'm drinking it in and learning.”
Nicole said she feels lucky to be able to see the world through her mother’s perspective. Credit: Instagram/@nicolekidman.
In May 2020, Nicole lived abroad in the United States and talked about missing her mother.
“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,” she said at the time.
Reports say that Nicole and her mother had not seen each other for over eight months during the height of the pandemic in 2020. The two finally got their much-needed family time together in August of the same year.
In 2016, Janelle also had a health scare when she was suddenly taken to a hospital in Sydney after a suspected heart problem.
For those who are massive fans of Nicole, or want to learn a bit more about the star, check out this super fascinating interview with her and Vogue where they ask a very specific and rapid-fire 73 questions!
Credit: Vogue.