Nicole Kidman to Train as Death Doula After Mother's Passing

Nicole Kidman announced plans to train as a death doula during a public talk at the University of San Francisco on Saturday, revealing the decision stems from her experiences supporting her late mother through her final days.

The 58-year-old actress shared her intentions as part of the university's Silk Speaker Series, describing the role as an extension of her personal growth. A death doula, or end-of-life doula, provides nonmedical support to individuals facing terminal illness or death, offering emotional, spiritual, psychological, and practical guidance to both the person and their family. Kidman, who acknowledged the idea might seem unusual, explained that it arose from the challenges her family faced after her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, died at age 84 in September 2024.

"As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide," Kidman told the audience. She noted the demands on her and her younger sister, Antonia Kidman, who together have 10 children and demanding careers. Their father, clinical psychologist Antony Kidman, had died in 2014 following a fall, leaving the sisters to manage care without his support. "Between my sister and...