Our thoughts are with Nicole Kidman, 52, who just learned her home in Sydney, Australia is very close to close to one of the wildfires. “I’m so distracted right now by everything going on in Australia,” Nicole, visibly emotional, blurted out to press at the Gold Meets Golden brunch in Beverly Hills on Saturday, Jan. 4 according to People. News of the devastating fires — the worst ever on record — have been making headlines worldwide for weeks. The Bombshell actress was reportedly late for the Golden Globes event — which was held at the Virginia Robinson Gardens — due to flight issues from Sydney to Los Angeles. Several event attendees also noticed that Nicole was visibly upset upon her arrival. While Nicole was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was raised in Sydney, Australia and still has a home there.
New South Wales, which is Australia’s most populous state, has been engulfed in flames for weeks as the country remains in a state of emergency. “We are facing another extremely difficult next 24 hours,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 4. “In recent times, particularly over the course of the balance of this week, we have seen this disaster escalate to an entirely new level.” In total, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that there’s currently 155 fires being watched in the area. Winds of 65 miles per hour are playing a role in the spread of flames towards the city, and and are also severely affecting the air quality in the region. Several fatalities have occurred as a result of the fires, with 12 losing their lives last week, bringing the total number of deaths to 23. Animals in the area are also being affected, with nearly a half a billion losing their lives.
The actress has since donated $500K to Australia’s Rural Fire services, and took to social media to encourage her followers to get involved. “Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia,” she captioned an image featuring various charitable organizations supporting with fire efforts. “We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now,” she confirmed.
Nicole was recently enjoying a visit home with husband Keith Urban, 52 — who was born in New Zealand but also raised in commonwealth country — over the Christmas break. The couple, who have been married for 14 years, looked so in love as they walked along a Sydney beach hand-in-hand! The “Big Little Lies” actress “Stupid Boy” singer have been posting up a storm from their trip on social media, also sharing a sweet Christmas photo. “From our family to you and yours. Blessings to you all this holiday season 🎅❤️🙏,” she captioned the pic. On the flight there, Nicole also happened to run into friend and fellow Aussie Russell Crowe, 55, snapping a fun selfie! “You never know who you’ll run into on your way home for Christmas ✈️ 🎄30 years of friendship.. and counting @russellcrowe xx,” Nicole wrote.
