Nicole Kidman has shed light on her decision to become a death doula, describing the practice as both "beautiful" and "very important" to her. During a recent live speaker series at the Kimmel Center's Marian Anderson Hall, produced by The History Channel as part of their Babygirl actress, she told the audience, "I recently spoke about my journey into learning to be a death doula, which seemed to leave people either confused or intrigued."
After stating her desire to help families navigate their final moments together, she described the work of a death doula as "really fascinating." A doula typically supports mothers during pregnancy and childbirth in a non-medical capacity, while death doulas, also referred to as "end-of-life" doulas, provide similar holistic services, offering support to dying individuals and their families.
"It's very beautiful," Kidman said, adding, "But you have to be a certain personality to be able to do it. I found out that I'm actually that personality. It's very important to me. There is always suffering, but if there are people there who can help with that, help those final stages be less painful — if you feel the connection in your heart, then that's lovely. So that's what I'm exploring."
Kidman shared her thoughts on the practice after reflecting on her mother's death, which coincided with her being honored at the Venice Film Festival in September 2024. "This seems to be such a common theme through my life."
"I was about to go on stage, and I found out my mother had died," she recalled. "I went right back to the room in Venice, got into bed, and was completely devastated."
Nicole Kidman went on to reveal that she didn't know how to function or move forward because her mother "was so much a part of my existence. The idea of being there at that particular moment was harrowing."
