Nicole Kidman’s ‘distant’ relationship with kids Bella and Connor amid hopes for reconciliation

Nicole Kidman has been taking time to herself recently as the end of the year draws to a close.

The Academy Award-winning actress has battling with grief since September following the loss of her mother, Janelle, and is no doubt looking forward to spending the holiday season reflecting and with her nearest and dearest.

Nicole, 57, will likely be spending the Christmas period with her husband, country music star, Keith Urban, and their two children, Sunday, 16, and Faith, 13. 

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But the actress is also a mom to her grown-up kids, Bella, 31, and Connor, 29, whom she and her ex-husband Tom Cruise adopted in the 1990s.

The Perfect Couple actress is said to be “devastated” that Bella and Connor did not reconcile a relationship with their grandmother before her death, according to a new report in MailOnline.

However, despite the seemingly distant relationship, Nicole has spoken of her “unconditional love” for Connor and Bella. Find out more about her bond with her two eldest kids…

Nicole Kidman’s ‘distant’ relationship with two grown-up children

Nicole has not been publicly photographed with Bella and Connor since 2007 but has opened up about the relationship she has with her two eldest children.

Shortly after their last public appearance, the Eyes Wide Shut star made the surprising revelation that Bella and Connor do not call her “mom”.

“They call me Nicole, which I hate,” she explained during an appearance on GMTV.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with E! News around the same time, she explained how she would “love” if the two older kids had decided to live with her instead of their father.

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“They live with Tom, which was their choice,” she said. “I’d love them to live with us, but what can you do?” Despite not necessarily liking the decision, she remained steadfast in her positive support.

“Everybody has their own path and when they find their path it’s such a relief as a parent.”

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How Scientology affected their bond

As Bella and Connor grew older, they joined the Church of Scientology which their dad, Tom Cruise, has famously been a part of for many years.

It’s been reported over the years that the controversial religion has caused somewhat of a strain on the relationship between Nicole, Bella and Connor.

However, Nicole has always denied this and insisted that Bella and Connor are free to make their own decisions.

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In 2018, Nicole spoke out to Who Magazine about the reports of a distance between them caused by Scientology, to which she said: “I’m very private about all that. I have to protect all those relationships. 

“I know 150 per cent that I would give up my life for my children because it’s what my purpose is.

“They are adults. They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it’s my job to love them.”

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She added: “And I am an example of that tolerance and that’s what I believe: that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and I’m open.

“I think that’s so important because if that is taken away from a child, to sever that in any relationship, in any family, I believe it’s wrong. So that’s our job as a parent, to always offer unconditional love.”

Nicole shared a similar sentiment to The Sun a year later, explaining: “Motherhood is about the journey. There are going to be incredible peaks and valleys, whether you are an adopted mother or a birth mother. 

© Thierry Le Fouille/SIPA/Shutterstock

“What a child needs is love. They have made choices to be Scientologists. It’s our job as a parent to always offer unconditional love.”

Despite Nicole’s “unconditional love”, a distance remains between them, arguably evident when Bella and Connor were notably absent at milestone events including Nicole’s Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year.

Bella lives in London with her husband who she married in 2015 at The Dorchester Hotel, Nicole was not present. Connor, meanwhile, who has a close bond with his movie star dad, lives in Florida where he runs his own barbeque business.