Keith Urban refuses to talk about Nicole Kidman in awkward interview

Keith Urban shut down an interviewer who asked about his wife Nicole Kidman following her mother Janelle's death two weeks ago.

Janelle Kidman passed away aged 84 earlier this month — with the announcement coming just hours before her daughter Nicole, 57, was awarded Best Actress for her role in Babygirl at the Venice Film Festival.

The Australian actress was forced to leave Venice Film Festival to return to her native Sydney to be with her family.

Speaking with The Times in a profile published on Friday, Keith provided little insight into how his wife and their family were handling the devastating news.

'Yeah, everybody's good, man. Thank you for asking,' the 56-year-old told The Times journalist Ed Potton in an article published on Friday.

But the country rocker then shut down the writer, refusing to address his mother-in-law's death or Nicole's emotional state.

'I just don't want to give you guys a headline about my wife, Ed,' he continued.

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.'

One week later, Nicole broke her silence and made an heart-wrenching Instagram statement alongside 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.

'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.'

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 has long had an incredibly close relationship with her beloved mother Janelle and often spoke about her support and influence on her career over the years.

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.

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.

Read More

Inside Nicole Kidman's very close relationship with her mother Janelle amid sad news of her death

'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.

'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.'