Lucia Hawley has penned a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother hours after her aunt Nicole Kidman broke her silence following her mum Janelle’s death.
On Saturday, September 7, Nicole revealed that her beloved mother died at the age of 84 — with the announcement coming just hours before being awarded Best Actress for her role in Babygirl at the Venice Film Festival.
Almost one week later, the 57-year-old Australian actress shared a series of never-before-seen photos of the matriarch.
Lucia, 26, has now shared her own images and some solemn words following Janelle’s passing.
‘Last week, we said goodbye to my Grandma, one of my favourite people in the world. We will miss her so, so much,’ she captioned her post.
Images from Lucia’s post showed the 7Bravo star when she was a toddler alongside her grandmother, plus throwback photos that featured her mother Antonia and grandfather Antony.
One image even displayed her longtime boyfriend Henry Poole sitting next to Janelle at their dinner table.
In her post, Lucia noted the very close and special relationship she had with her grandmother growing up and admitted she had been ‘fearfully anticipating’ the day of Janelle’s death.
Lucia Hawley has penned a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother hours after her aunt Nicole Kidman broke her silence following her mum Janelle’s death. Lucia is pictured with her aunt as a child
‘My Grandma often remarks that she was the first person to lay eyes on me when I was born—secretly elated that I was a girl. “We bonded then,” she tells me,’ Lucia wrote.
‘I can imagine her holding me in the birthing suite on the afternoon of October 27, 1998. Me, a helpless, screaming baby—a stranger she did not yet know. At that moment, we could not have predicted how much we would go through together—the storms we would weather, the laughs, the fights, the teenage years—the best and worst times. Indeed, we were bonded for life.’
In her lengthy tribute, Lucia continued: ‘In all honesty, I have been fearfully anticipating this day for a long time.
‘Those privileged enough to shared a close relationship with their grandparents will understand that time is not usually on our side—a meeting that takes place at the beginning of our lives and the end of theirs. We grow up, and they grow old.
Lucia, 26, has shared her own images and some solemn words following Janelle’s passing
‘She fought well, though, Grandma—my last surviving grandparent.’
Lucia, whose grandfather Antony died in 2014 at the age of 75, went on to recall her final moments she spent with Janelle.
‘Last week, I sat with Grandma and asked her if she was afraid of dying. She told me she was not so much scared as she was curious,’ she continued.
‘We talked about her reuniting with Papa… I told her I would miss her. She said she would miss me too.’
The television presenter admitted the ‘next few years will be tough’ for her and her family, though she pointed out her past experience with grief after her father Angus passed away in 2015 from a heart attack. He was 46.
In her post, Lucia noted the very close and special relationship she had with her grandmother growing up and admitted she had been ‘fearfully anticipating’ the day of Janelle’s death. Pictured with her mother, Antonia
Lucia (centre) recalled her final moments she spent with Janelle (left). Pictured with Lucia’s mother Antonia Kidman (right)
‘I am familiar with the grieving process to know that the worst part of death is not the initial shock; it is the lifetime we’ll experience without her,’ Lucia said.
‘Farewell to our beloved J; the world will feel a lot emptier without you in it.’
On Friday, Nicole and her sister Antonia shared a heart-wrenching tribute to their late mother on Instagram and posted several never-before-seen photos of the matriarch.
In her 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.
The television presenter admitted the ‘next few years will be tough’ for her and her family
‘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.’
On Saturday, Nicole revealed that her beloved mother had sadly passed away at the age of 84.
The Australian actress, 57, was forced to leave Venice Film Festival to return to her native Sydney to be with her family after the devastating news.
Her mother Janelle died just hours before Nicole was awarded Best Actress for her role in Babygirl on the final day of Venice Film Festival.
‘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 upon her win.
‘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.’
On Friday, Nicole Kidman (right) broke her silence one week after announcing the death of her mother, Janelle (centre). Pictured with Antonia Kidman (left)
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.’
Nicole shared a heart-wrenching tribute to her late mother on Instagram and posted several never-before-seen photos of the matriarch
‘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
In her post, the Perfect Couple star thanked her millions of fans and supporters for expressing their condolences during their time of grieving
Nicole was born in Honolulu and raised in Sydney by Janelle and her psychologist father Antony, who died in September 2014.
After spending time in the United States, the Moulin Rouge star and her younger sister Antonia spent much of their childhood in Sydney.
Nicole pursued her passion for acting when she was a teenager and was supported by both of her parents as she soared to global fame.
They both remained closely involved with her career over the years, with Nicole recently admitting she would still go to her mother for advice.
In November, the Big Little Lies star told how she would often ask her mother Janelle for advice on her outfits, despite working with a whole string of professional stylists.
Flowers had been left at Janell’s home, with Antonia picking them up as the family’s loved ones rally around them during the difficult time. Pictured (L-R): Lucia Hawley, Janelle Kidman and Nicole Kidman in 2018
In a sign of their close bond, Nicole told People: ‘My mother is still — she’s so involved in what I wear.’
Nicole is known for her daring fashion choices but told how it was her mother and grandmother who first fostered her love for clothes.
‘I love fashion. I’ve always loved fashion,’ she gushed while speaking at the Planet Omega pop-up launch in New York.
‘I grew up as a little girl with a grandmother that loved fashion and could sew and my mother the same. They loved beautiful clothes. They could make beautiful clothes,’ she went on.
‘I watched them sew, embroider, and knit, crochet. And I think when you grow up seeing the people in your household do that, then you love that.’
Nicole was never shy of gushing over her affections for Janelle, sharing a touching tribute on her mother’s 82nd birthday last year.
Taking to Instagram, she posted a gallery of photographs of herself and her family celebrating with Janelle at a party and penned some sweet words in a caption.
‘Happy birthday, mumma. You are so loved by all of us,’ Nicole wrote.
She had also taken the time to send her mother birthday well wishes while on the Oscars red carpet in Los Angeles with her husband Keith Urban.
‘It’s my mum’s birthday today. Happy Birthday, mama. We love you soo much,’ Nicole said to the camera.
‘We did a party for her when we were back in Sydney. She is the heartbeat of our family, so we love you, mama.’
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald in May 2020, Nicole also spoke about missing her mother while living abroad in the United States.
After the news of her mother’s death, Nicole has travelled back to Australia to be with her family, including her sister Antonia. Pictured in April
Nicole had an equally close bond with her father Antony and was left devastated when he died of a heart attack in September 2014 at the age of 75 (they are pictured in 2005)
‘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.
Nicole had an equally close relationship with her father Antony and was left devastated when he died of a heart attack in September 2014 at the age of 75.
The Oscar-winning actress previously revealed that the ‘sudden’ death of her father, as well as a string of other losses, had deeply affected her.
‘I’ve been given death as a very sudden thing. I’ve not nursed someone through a slow death, I’ve just had people taken,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2020.
‘I’ve now had it happen repeatedly, I almost get scared saying it because I get terrified it’s going to happen again. I still have a lot of fear of that.’
The Oscar-winning actress previously revealed that the ‘sudden’ death of her father, as well as a string of other losses, had deeply affected her. Pictured (L-R) Antony Kidman, Nicole Kidman and Janelle Kidman in 2003