Nicole Kidman has opened up about how a final conversation with her late mother gave her the confidence to allow her teenage daughter Sunday Rose to pursue a modelling career — a decision she admits she initially had reservations about.
Sunday Rose, whose father is Kidman's ex-husband Keith Urban, has already secured campaigns with major fashion houses including Miu Miu, Calvin Klein and Christian Dior. Now 18, she has been carving out a name for herself in the industry — and it appears a heartfelt exchange with her grandmother played a pivotal role in making it happen.
A Mother's "Parting Gift" to Sunday Rose
Kidman revealed that before her mother Janelle Ann Kidman passed away in 2024, she sought her advice on whether to support Sunday's modelling ambitions.
"Before my mumma passed, she was there and I said, 'Oh, should I let her? She wants to model,'" Kidman explained in a recent interview. Her mother's response was simply: "Well, you did it."
That brief but powerful reply was enough to shift Kidman's thinking. "That was sort of my mumma's parting gift to Sunny," she said. "She encouraged me to let her be able to follow her bliss and follow her passion and what she wanted. That's exactly what she said, 'You, kind of, have to let her because I let you.'"
Kidman reflected that her own mother had supported her passion when she was just 14 years old, and that history made the advice all the more meaningful.
Balancing Career and Family Life
The comments came as Kidman has been promoting the new season of her television series Lioness, in which she stars alongside Zoe Saldana. Despite the demands of a high-profile production schedule, Kidman said she made it a priority to return to Nashville the moment filming wrapped.
"I go home to my family. I've got one child in junior year and one who's a freshman," she said, adding that being present for her children remains her top priority. "I was like, 'Okay, I got to be there taking care.' Multitasking, right?"
In addition to Sunday Rose, Kidman is also mother to 15-year-old Faith, who she described as currently in her freshman year.
Following Passion Across Generations
Kidman's reflections on parenting and creative freedom highlight a generational thread — a mother who supported her daughter, whose daughter in turn supports her own. For Kidman, allowing Sunday to follow her passion was not simply a career decision, but a way of honouring her late mother's legacy.
For parents navigating similar decisions about their children's wellbeing and development, supporting children through pivotal life choices remains one of the most important roles a parent can play.
