Nicole Kidman is opening up about the touching advice her late mother, Janelle Kidman, gave her regarding daughter Sunday Rose‘s modeling ambitions. But while the conversation was deeply personal for the actress, social media users continue to debate whether the 18-year-old has what it takes to succeed as a model—or whether her famous family has given her an advantage.
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Kidman recalled asking her mother for advice about whether she should allow Sunday Rose to pursue modeling before Janelle died in September 2024 at age 84.
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Nicole Kidman Shares Her Late Mother's Advice For Sunday
"I said, 'Oh, should I let her? She wants to model.' And my mom said, 'Well, you did it. ... You have to let her because I let you,'" Nicole recalled.
The Babygirl star explained that Janelle had similarly encouraged her to pursue her own passions from a young age.
"My mother let me do my passion that I wanted when I was 14 [when] I started," she said.
Kidman described her mother's advice as a meaningful final gift to her daughter.
"So that was, sort of, my mom's parting gift to Sunny," she said.
"She kind of encouraged me to let her be able to follow her 'bliss' and follow her passion and what she wanted. So, I'm so grateful that my mama passed [that on]," the Academy Award winner added.
Janelle played an important role in encouraging the 59-year-old to pursue her creative ambitions from a young age, and Kidman has previously spoken about the influence her mother had on her life and career.
Today, Sunday Rose is pursuing a career in fashion. The daughter of Kidman and country music star Keith Urban made her runway debut for Miu Miu at 16 and has since appeared on runways and in fashion projects involving major luxury brands, including Dior and Calvin Klein.
She also made her Met Gala debut alongside her mother in 2025, wearing Dior.
Social Media Reacts
Despite her growing résumé, Sunday has faced criticism online over her modeling abilities.
In July, she walked in a Dior show just one day before her 18th birthday, prompting social-media users to debate everything from her runway walk and facial expressions to the opportunities she has received as the daughter of two internationally famous entertainers.
Following Kidman's latest comments, the conversation surrounding Sunday continued.
"Sometimes dreams are not meant to be lol," one person wrote.
Another commented, "Sunday looks more like a Monday. Nepo model for sure."
"Sunday looks miserable all the time!" another person said.
Someone else wrote, "Nope, not model material."
"It’s not fair celebrity kids get a free ride. There are so many 'starving artists' that deserve to be in entertainment," another user stated.
Someone else quipped, "She wouldn't be an in-demand model if she wasn't Nicole's daughter. She's a nepo baby and that's how she followed her dream."
However, not everyone was critical, with one commenter taking a more supportive view: "Well, to each their own. Do what makes you happy!"
