Nicole Kidman’s tender Mother’s Day tribute sparked unexpected backlash — not for what she said, but for who she left out.

To commemorate Mother’s Day, on May 11, 2025, Hollywood star Nicole Kidman took to Instagram with heartwarming photos. Her images showcase the loving bond between her late mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, and the two daughters she shares with Keith Urban — Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret Kidman Urban. Notably absent from the tribute were Nicole’s adopted kids, Connor and Isabella “Bella” Cruise.

One image in Nicole’s post captures a serene and sentimental moment: Her late mother walking hand-in-hand with young Sunday and Faith down a sun-drenched path surrounded by the burnt orange terrain and lush greenery of Uluru.

The girls, dressed casually and holding tightly onto their grandmother, appear nestled in the calm of the Australian outback.

Nicole’s cover photo evokes a deeper familial moment, showing all four ladies together. The “Babygirl” actress stands beside her mother, arms draped around her, while her daughters cuddle close by her legs, wrapped in cozy coats against the golden hour backdrop.

With a glass of wine in hand and a gentle smile, Janelle emanates grace and contentment, her presence grounding the moment in quiet strength.

Nicole’s caption, simple yet poignant — “My mother and my daughters in Uluru, beautiful memories…always 💕 Happy Mother’s Day” — served as a tender homage to the women closest to her heart.

Though intended as a heartfelt celebration of motherhood, Nicole’s post was quickly met with a wave of online scrutiny, much of it centered around the conspicuous absence of Bella and Connor.

Several netizens seized on the omission, expressing outrage over what they perceived as erasure. One commenter bluntly remarked, “@nicolekidman how about the other ones lmao 🤣 is a shame that ppl still support you you adopted a kid to reject them after how u still in Hollywood [sic]?”

Another echoed a similar sentiment, “Doesn’t she mean ‘with 2 of my daughters’… what happened to Bella? ( and Connor?) [sic].”

Some critics broadened their condemnation beyond Nicole, questioning those in her circle. “@charlizeafrica you support her and u got adopted kids? Lmao you ppl should be canceled Hollywood weirdos @nicolekidman [sic],” opined an Instagrammer, who shared another comment earlier.

A few comments descended into conspiratorial and critical tones, with one person accusing, “Trying to act normal when in fact they’re part of a satanic sect,” while another cynically added, “Who cares? Shows she’s not much of a mother at all! Just a sour ex! Thankfully [sic] she’s too old to have more children!”

In contrast, some people pointed fingers at Bella and Connor, claiming that the estrangement was a result of their affiliation with Scientology.

One person insisted, “They excluded HER from their lives years ago and didn’t want anything to do with her…What do you expect?”

Another elaborated, “Not awkward at all. These older kids have chosen all their lives to exclude their Mother because she chose not to participate in Scientology […] You have to exclude anyone from your life who isn’t a Scientologist […] even if they are your parents, siblings, children.”

Other comments shared similar sentiments, noting that Nicole hadn’t raised her older kids for years, and not by her own decision. “They cut her out when she left Scientology […] So what’s she supposed to do? Pretend that a mother/child relationship still exists? Give me a break,” one spectator argued.

Still, amid the tension, not all responses were critical. A small chorus of fans chose to focus on the warmth of Nicole’s tribute.

Some offered words of love and admiration, calling it a “beautiful memory for every generation 🤗” and praising her caption as “purely from the heart.” One follower simply commented, “So much love to you🤍,” while another swooned, “Awe … sweet family 🌹🌹🌹🌹🙏🏻.”

As criticism mounted over Nicole’s perceived disregard for her adopted children, many were quick to revisit the deep-rooted history she shares with Bella and Connor — a story shaped by both love and loss.

Long before her life with her husband, Keith, and their daughters, Nicole was married to actor Tom Cruise — a union that began with what she once described as an all-consuming closeness. “We were in a bubble, just the two of us. We became very dependent on one another,” she divulged in a past interview.

Their journey into parenthood was not a straightforward one. After enduring the heartbreak of an ectopic pregnancy early in the marriage, the actress faced further struggles trying to conceive.

It was within that emotionally fraught chapter of their lives that the couple decided to expand their family through adoption. In 1992, they welcomed daughter Isabella into their lives, followed by son Connor in 1995.

Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Nicole has not been silent about her bond with Bella and Connor over the years.

In a 2007 interview with Marie Claire, a few years after her high-profile divorce from Tom, the actress opened up about the profound sense of accountability she felt as a mother. She acknowledged how deeply her choices and lifestyle had shaped Connor and Bella’s world.

“My daughter and son, their life is moulded by the way I live,” Nicole reflected at the time, underscoring that adopting them came with a weight of responsibility she never took lightly.

Nicole Kidman expressed that had she not been prepared to fully embrace that role, with all the sacrifice and scrutiny it might entail, she would never have decided to bring them into her life.

Years later, Nicole would offer a broader — and more philosophical — view on what it truly means to be a mother. In a 2018 interview with Tatler, she chose not to speak in detail about her relationship with Bella and Connor or the rumors of estrangement that had lingered in the media.

Still, her words carried quiet defiance against the societal fixation on bloodlines and biological ties. She challenged the notion that motherhood must be defined by genetics, suggesting that such views missed the heart of the experience. “Whether you’re an adoptive mother, whether you’re a foster mother, whether you’re a biological mother,” she said, the distinction ultimately doesn’t matter.

It painted a portrait not of broken ties, but of carefully drawn boundaries.

What matters — what always mattered — is the emotional connection, the deep sense of devotion that binds a parent to their child through the act of nurturing, guiding, and loving.

Nicole’s deep affection for Bella and Connor was also evident during the 2013 promotional tour for her psychological thriller “Stoker,” where the conversation turned from film to family.

As the interviewer marveled at how quickly her kids had grown, noting that Connor had just turned 18, Nicole’s response was filled with warmth and enthusiasm. She lit up while talking about her son’s path, sharing that he had begun DJing and was thriving in his own right.

With equal tenderness, she mentioned Bella, who had by then settled in London, carving out a life of her own away from the spotlight.

Nicole didn’t dwell on the details, but her message was clear: Watching her children step into adulthood and define their own identities was both a comfort and a source of pride. “Everybody has their own path,” she expressed, “and when they find their path, it’s such a relief as a parent.”

Aside from Nicole speaking with quiet reverence about her children, Connor offered his own heartfelt perspective on his mom in 2014. During a tour through Australia — a place he affectionately called his “second home” — the then-teenager made headlines not for his DJ career, but for speaking candidly about his bond with Nicole.

Though much had been speculated about his loyalty to Tom following his parents’ split, Connor pushed back on the narrative that he and Nicole were distant.

His expression lit up when asked about her, and his words were clear and grounded. “I love my mum,” he stated confidently.

“I don’t care what people say, I know that me and Mum are solid. I love her a lot. My family means everything. Yeah, I love my music, but the family comes before everything else [sic].” Like her brother, Bella has also shared reflections about Nicole.

In 2016, she opened up for the first time about her low-key wedding to IT Specialist Max Parker — a ceremony held the year before in a private suite at London’s upscale Dorchester Hotel. While the secrecy surrounding the nuptials was enough to make headlines, what truly shocked many was the absence of both of her famous parents.

Neither Nicole nor Tom attended the ceremony, despite Nicole being in London at the time. Tom’s absence was quietly attributed to a work conflict, while no specific reason was publicly offered for Nicole’s.

Though speculation about a strained relationship between Bella and her mother had long followed the family, particularly given Bella’s deep involvement in Scientology, which once labeled Nicole a “suppressive person,” Bella firmly denied any rift.

“Of course [we talk], they’re my parents,” she asserted, shutting down rumors of disconnection. “Anyone who says otherwise is full of [expletive].” Interestingly, Bella and Max chose not only to forgo traditional wedding fanfare but also to distance themselves from the wealth and fame that could have accompanied their union.

The couple reportedly turned down financial assistance from both Nicole and Tom, opting instead to live modestly in a one-bedroom apartment in a converted terraced house shared with roommates. Max’s parents, who had yet to meet either of Bella’s parents at the time of the interview, expressed no urgency to do so.

They also skipped the wedding to avoid media attention, with his mother, Beverly Parker, explaining, “We didn’t want the media circus.” Despite the lack of familial fanfare, Bella appeared content and grounded in her new chapter.

Her quiet, independent life in England seemed a far cry from the Hollywood upbringing she left behind. Though Bella maintains that all is well between her and her parents, the wedding’s circumstances spoke volumes.

In the end, it painted a portrait not of broken ties, but of carefully drawn boundaries — a story of family, faith, and the complexities that fame can never quite smooth over.