Content Advisory: This article discusses grief, death, and concerns about mental health. Reader discretion is advised.
Nicole Kidman has sparked concern after opening up about grief, mortality, and a surprising new path she wants to study.
The 58-year-old ‘Babygirl’ actress recently revealed that she plans to train in end-of-life care after the death of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, in September 2024. Janelle died at 84, and Kidman has since spoken about how difficult those final days were for her family.
The comments were personal. They were also heavy enough to worry people close to her.
Nicole Kidman Opens Up About Her Mother’s Final Days
Kidman spoke about her mother during an April 11 appearance at the University of San Francisco’s War Memorial Gym as part of the Silk Speaker Series.
“As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide,” Kidman said.
She explained that she and her sister, Antonia Kidman, were trying to balance their own families, careers, and the desire to care for their mother after their father’s death.
“Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn’t in the world anymore,” she said.
Kidman added that the experience left her wishing there had been someone present simply to offer comfort and care.
“I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care,” she said. “So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning.”
Insider Says Friends Are Worried
One source familiar with Kidman’s recent reflections said the actress’ comments have raised quiet concern.
“What she’s expressing is not just compassion, it’s a preoccupation with mortality that those around her find concerning and find astonishingly bleak,” the insider said.
The source added, “She’s in danger of focusing on grief in a way that risks becoming all-consuming.”
The same insider said people close to Kidman are worried that her interest in death doula work may reflect deeper emotional strain.
“It’s admirable on one level, but there’s worry that she’s retreating emotionally,” the source said. “Focusing so intensely on death and loss can sometimes be a sign someone is struggling to process their own feelings.”
The insider added that some close to the actress are “quietly asking whether she’s okay” as she continues grieving her mother.
Other Celebrities Have Explored Death Doula Work
Kidman is not the only famous figure drawn to death doula training. Riley Keough previously said she pursued similar work after the deaths of her brother Benjamin Keough and her mother Lisa Marie Presley.
“That’s really what’s helped me, being able to put myself in a position of service,” Riley said. “If I can help other people, maybe I can find some way to help myself.”
Filmmaker Chloé Zhao has also completed Level 1 death doula training in the UK while working on ‘Hamnet’. Zhao said studying death helped her understand how cultures make room for grief.
Another source said Kidman’s path could be healing, but still difficult.
“Confronting death can be healing, but it can also open doors emotionally that are difficult to close,” the source said. “The concern is whether she has the support she needs as she goes through this process.”
