Grief-stricken Nicole Kidman is comforted by her husband Keith Urban at her mother Janelle’s funeral
Nicole Kidman was supported by her doting husband Keith Urban as they attended her mother Janelle’s funeral in Sydney on Tuesday.
The Australian actress, 57, appeared sombre as she joined her family at St Francis Xavier Church in Lavender Bay to say her final goodbye.
Janelle died at the age of 84 last month – just hours before Nicole was awarded the Best Actress gong for her role in Babygirl at the Venice Film Festival.
Nicole held hands with her country music star husband, 56, as she arrived at the church dressed in a long black coat and designer sunglasses.
The couple was also joined by their two daughters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 14, as well as Nicole’s sister Antonia, 54.
Nicole’s older children Bella and Connor, who she adopted with her ex-husband Tom Cruise, did not appear to be in attendance at the service.
During one emotional moment ahead of the funeral, Sunday was seen wiping tears away from her eyes as she became overwhelmed with emotion on the difficult day.
She was supported by Faith and cousins Lucia, 26, Hamish, 23, and Sybella Hawley, 17, who are the children of Antonia and her late husband Angus Hawley.
Antonia shares another son, James, with Angus – who died in April 2015 from a suspected heart attack – while she went on to welcome two more sons, Nicholas and Alexander, with her second husband Craig Marran.
Craig leant his support to Antonia at Janelle’s funeral as he was seen lovingly placing his hand on her shoulder outside the church in one heartfelt moment.
The Kidman family were joined by close friends at the intimate service including Channel Nine star Richard Wilkins, 69, and his make-up artist girlfriend Mia Hawkswell, 47.
Australian TV presenter Peter Overton, his wife Jessica Rowe and their daughters Allegra and Giselle were also in attendance.
During one sweet moment, Allegra was seen supporting Nicole’s daughters Sunday and Faith as she enveloped them in a close embrace.
The Overton and Kidman-Urban clan have shared a close relationship over the years, even ringing in the New Year together at the famous family’s multimillion-dollar North Sydney penthouse on January 1, 2023.
Peter also acted as a pallbearer at Nicole’s father Antony’s funeral on September 19, 2014, which was held at the same church as Janelle’s service.
Antony died from a suspected heart attack in Singapore at the age of 75, and the Kidmans said goodbye to him in a more public funeral, with many famous names including Russell Crowe paying their respects.
Last month, Nicole and Antonia shared an emotional tribute to their late mother on Instagram and posted several never-before-seen family pictures.
In the post, the Perfect Couple star thanked her millions of fans and supporters for expressing their condolences during their time of grieving.
‘My sister and I along with our family want to thank you for the outpouring of love and kindness we have felt this week,’ Nicole wrote in the joint statement.
‘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.’
The week before the post was shared, Nicole had been forced to leave Venice Film Festival because of the sad news of her mother’s death.
‘Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed,’ Nicole revealed in a statement read by 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.
‘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.’
In an interview with the Fresh Air podcast in January 2022, Nicole spoke briefly about her mother’s health issues after temporarily moving back to Sydney to support her.
Her comments came as she told how she had taken Janelle to the Art Gallery of New South Wales after hours, where they saw the Matisse: Life & Spirit exhibition, describing it as a ‘soothing balm’ amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘We’re down here primarily to take care of my mother and to have her surrounded by her grandchildren,’ she said.
‘So 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, which coming from a mother who’s raised me in the arts, it was soothing balm. Matisse was soothing balm last night.’
