Nicole Kidman Reveals Surprising New Career Path: Becoming a 'Death Doula'

Nicole Kidman has shared that she's learning to become a death doula

NEED TO KNOW

• The actress explained during a talk on Saturday, April 11, that she had the idea after her mother died aged 84 in 2024

• "As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide," she explained

Nicole Kidmanhas a new career in mind.

The actress, 58, shared that she's learning to become a death doula during a talk at the University of San Francisco's War Memorial Gym on Saturday, April 11,theSan Francisco Chroniclereported.

Speaking to investigative journalist and USF graduate Vicky Nguyen as part of the school's Silk Speaker Series, she explained that the idea "may sound a little weird," but that her plans first came about after her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman,died aged 84in September 2024.

"As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide," Kidman told attendees, via theChronicle. TheHollandactresshas four children, while her younger sisterAntonia Kidman, 55, has six.

She continued, "Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn't in the world anymore, and that's when I went, ‘I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.' "

"So that's part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning."

Death doulas, also known as end-of-life doulas, provide support to people and their loved ones toward the end of life. Per theInternational End-of-Life Doula Association, "An end-of-life doula advocates self-determination and imparts psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, and practical care to empower dignity throughout the dying process."

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Kidman, meanwhile, has often discussed the grief she felt after losing both her mom and her dad,Dr. Antony Kidman, who died in 2014.

A month after losing her mom, Kidmandescribed her as a "compass"and a "major guide" in her life, while she said shortly after that she would sometimeswake up "crying and gasping"amid the loss of both parents.

She learned of her mother's death while at theVenice Film Festivalahead of an appearance for her filmBabygirlandleft early to be with her family.

At the time, the film's director, Halina Reijn, read a letter on Kidman's behalf during what would have been her acceptance speech for best actress.

In the letter, Kidman stated that she traveled to Venice to learn "shortly after that my beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has just passed."

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In March 2025, shepaid tribute to her momon what would have been her 85th birthday. “Missing Mumma and Papa so much on what would have been her birthday today,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her parents smiling together, adding a red heart emoji. Shepaid tribute again a year later, writing, "Remembering my Mumma on her birthday. Always in my heart."

Read the original article onPeople

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 15, 2026

Nicole Kidman Reveals Surprising New Career Path: Becoming a 'Death Doula'

Nicole Kidman has shared that she's learning to become a death doula NEED TO KNOW The actress explained during...

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US blockade of Iran will be major military endeavor, experts say

By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. naval blockade of Iran is a major, open-ended military endeavor that could trigger fresh retaliation from Tehran and put tremendous strain on an already fragile ceasefire, experts say.

President Donald Trump, in a social media post after no deal emerged from peace talks this weekend ‌in Islamabad, said the U.S. Navy "will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz."

The U.S. military's Central ‌Command later said the blockade will only apply to ships going to or from Iran, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It will take effect on Monday at 10 a.m. in Washington (1400 ​GMT), CENTCOM said.

Trump also said U.S. forces would interdict vessels that have paid tolls to Iran, even if those ships are now in international waters. "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The ultimate goal, Trump said, would be to pressure Iran to end its effective closure of the strait, a choke point for about 20% of the world's oil, to all but the countries that secure safe passage from Tehran.

If Trump's strategy succeeds, he would eliminate Iran's greatest point of leverage in negotiations with the United States ‌and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil ⁠prices. But a blockade, experts say, is an act of war that requires an open-ended commitment of a significant number of warships.

"Trump wants a quick fix. The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long-term," said Dana Stroul, a ⁠former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration now at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

IRANIAN RETALIATION

The U.S. military has not offered basic details yet about the blockade, including how many U.S. warships will enforce it, whether warplanes will be used and whether any Gulf allies will assist in the effort. Central Command declined to respond to requests for comment.

With enough warships, the U.S. Navy could set up ​a ​blockade that intimidates many commercial tankers from trying to power through with Iranian oil, experts say.

But would the ​United States be prepared to board and seize — or even damage ‌or sink — ships that try to break the blockade? What if they carry oil for China, a major power, or U.S. partners such as India or South Korea?

And what would Iran do? Retired Admiral Gary Roughead, a former chief of U.S. naval operations, cautioned that Iran could fire on ships in the Gulf or attack infrastructure of the Gulf states that host U.S. forces.

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"I honestly believe that if we begin to do it, that Iran will have some kind of a reaction," Roughead said.

Iran's threats to shipping have caused global oil prices to skyrocket about 50% since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on February 28.

Trump said on Sunday that the price of oil and gasoline may remain high https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-says-us-start-blockading-strait-hormuz-2026-04-12/ in the United States through ‌November's U.S. midterm elections, which could see Trump's Republicans lose control of the U.S. Congress if there is ​a public backlash. The war has already been unpopular.

GAS PRICE PROBLEM

Frustrated by Iran's refusal to end the war ​on his terms, Trump on Sunday also floated the possibility of a resumption of ​U.S. strikes inside Iran, citing missile factories as one possibility.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned ‌the strategy, noting Iran could send speedboats to mine the strait or ​put bombs against tankers.

"How is that going to ever ​bring down gas prices?" Warner asked on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Thousands of U.S. military strikes have severely weakened Iran's military. But analysts say Tehran has emerged from the conflict as a vexing problem for Washington, with a more hardline leadership and a buried stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump threatened on Sunday that "any Iranian who fires at us, ​or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"

Iran's Revolutionary Guards ‌responded with a statement warning that military vessels approaching the strait will be considered a ceasefire breach and dealt with harshly and decisively, underlining the risk ​of a dangerous escalation.

Stroul said the crisis will require a long-term, international effort to resolve.

"Over the long run, this will need to be resolved through diplomacy ​and international political will," she said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Sergio Non and Deepa Babington)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 15, 2026

US blockade of Iran will be major military endeavor, experts say

By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. naval blockade of Iran is a major, open-ended military endeavor that coul...

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Gabourey Sidibe Slams Critics of Her 23-Month-Old Twins' Hair, Says She 'Didn't Have Kids' for the Aesthetic

Gabourey Sidibe addressed criticism of her toddlers' hair, saying she "didn't have kids" for the aesthetic in a post on Instagram Threads

NEED TO KNOW

• Sidibe also further explained that she and her husband, Brandon Frankel, "sometimes do their hair several times a day"

• The actress welcomed her twins Cooper and Maya in April 2024

Gabourey Sidibeis shutting down criticism of her twins' hair.

In a post onInstagram Threads, theGive Me Back My Daughterstar, 42, slammed people who have made negative comments about her 23-month-old twins' hair. Sidibe, who shares her twins Cooper and Maya with husbandBrandon Frankel, said she'd be blocking anyone who left negative comments, adding she "didn't have kids" for the aesthetic.

"If you comment, telling me to do my toddlers[sic] hair, I'm blocking you," she wrote. "Their hair is always brushed, but they are active toddlers who play hard and aggressively launch into Head Shoulders Knees and Toes during lunch, so they get ketchup and eggs in it, so we sometimes do their hair several times a day."

"My daughter's hair is braided every week and when it gets fuzzy in an hour I don't immediately rebraid it because I didn't have kids for the esthetic[sic]," she added.

Sidibe continued telling her followers to "keep it cute," adding that "trying to impress the timeline with constantly manicured children isn't on my list of chores."

"So in closing, let's keep it cute cuz[sic] I'm fighting for my life as it is and trying to impress the timeline with constantly manicured children isn't on my list of chores," she wrote, before jokingly attaching a picture of her cat and wriitng, "Aaron will however be debuting the fresh box braids he got for his birthday trip to Punta Cana."

While Sidibe doesn't play when it comes to people criticizing her children, she can also find the humor in life as a parent of two. Back in February, the doting mom proved she'd do anything to make her kids look fabulous as she shared funny snaps of her children wearing her wigs onInstagram. TheEmpirealum joked that she was walking around bald, so her kids could look stylish in her hair.

"My head looks like this 🧑‍🦲 so that their heads can look this 👩‍🎤🧑‍🎤👨‍🎤," she joked.

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In the comments, her husband poked fun at the moment, writing, "You know you love them cuz you let them wear ya good wigs 😂😂❤️."

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Sidibe welcomed her kids in April 2024. Since then, she's shared the precious and special moments with them throughout the years. In November, she shared a picture onInstagramwith her twins as they visited her on the set of a project she was directing. In the picture, she held both of her twins while standing next to her director's chair.

"The twins visited me on set the other day. They STILL [aren't] allowed to watch screens tho," she captioned her post.

In the comments, Sidibe's husband showed some love to his wife. "Getting to watch them visit you at work and you simultaneously be a boss lady and the best mom is such an honor ❤️🥹."

Frankel also shared pictures from their visit on set on hisInstagram, expressing how proud he was of her.

"I'm really glad the twins and I were able to travel across the country so they could be reunited with mama@gabbysidibewhile she directed a new movie," he captioned his post. "Seeing them light up when they got to see her after weeks of her being gone (minus FaceTimes and videos daily) was magical. 🥹❤️ WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!"

Read the original article onPeople

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 14, 2026

Gabourey Sidibe Slams Critics of Her 23-Month-Old Twins' Hair, Says She 'Didn't Have Kids' for the Aesthetic

Gabourey Sidibe addressed criticism of her toddlers' hair, saying she "didn't have kids" for the aesthetic in a post ...

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Justin Bieber Is About ‘Vibing and Enjoying’ Amid 2026 Coachella Set Mixed Reviews: ‘Less Pressure’

Justin Bieberis not letting outside noise faze him after receiving mixed reviews for his2026 Coachellaset.

“This is Justin in 2026. He doesn’t have anyone pushing him to do these huge pop spectacles like a 3D concert movie anymore. It’s all about vibing and enjoying where he’s at now,” a source exclusively tellsUs Weekly.“There’s a lot less pressure on him, which allows him to put on the show that he wants to.”

Bieber’s highly-anticipated Coachella performance on Saturday, April 11, primarily featured tracks from hisSwagandSwag IIalbum, but he also showed YouTube clips from his original music videos on his laptop to reminisce.

While the minimalist set received some criticism from fans, the insider tellsUsthat the now-viral clips from Bieber’s YouTube performances “were only a small part of a much larger set.”

Hailey Bieber Was a ‘Big Influence’ on Justin Bieber Booking Coachella 2026 to Celebrate His Career

“He didn’t sit behind a computer the whole time,” the source explains. “Anyone who watched the full show saw that.”

The insider explains that Bieber’s YouTube segment was an “homage” to how the musician “got his start.”

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“It was meant to show his journey from posting videos on YouTube to performing on one of the world's biggest stages, also on YouTube,” the source shares. “Hailey [Bieber]thought it was adorable and very Justin. It was exactly what he planned and rehearsed."

Us Weeklyreached out to Bieber’s team for comment.

Justin and Hailey Bieber Switch Up 2026 Grammy Awards Outfits After His Shirtless Performance

While performing, Justin, 32, made sure togive a shout-out to wife Hailey, 29, and the couple’s son, Jack. (The pair welcomed their first child in 2024.)

“Hailey, babe, hallelujah,” Justin sang while performing “Everything Hallelujah,” per social media footage. “Baby Jack, hallelujah.”

Hailey was seen blowing a kiss back to him and waving at Justin from the audience. Justin is scheduled to return to the main stage on Saturday, April 18, during the second weekend of Coachella.

Ahead of thesinger’s duel performances, a separate source toldUsthat Bieber’s crew is “filming both weekends for a special project.” The news came after an unconfirmed Deuxmoi blind item reported that Justin was part of a documentary-style film with Netflix.

“Justin doesn’t feel he has something to prove, but at the same time, he wants to flex that he can put on a memorable show without a huge team like he once had,” the insider said of his Coachella set, referring to his 2023 split from longtime managerScooter Braun. “It’sall his vision, brought to life by just a few people.”

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 14, 2026

Justin Bieber Is About ‘Vibing and Enjoying’ Amid 2026 Coachella Set Mixed Reviews: ‘Less Pressure’

Justin Bieberis not letting outside noise faze him after receiving mixed reviews for his2026 Coachellaset. “This is Justin in 202...

Read More

Failure of US-Iran talks is a blow to hopes of finding an off-ramp to crisis

We watched the sun go down in Islamabad and then come up again as these marathon talks went on. To endwithout a dealmarks a fundamental blow to nascent hopes of finding an off-ramp to this crisis.

These were meetings of huge consequence –– the highest-level talks between US and Iranian officials since the formation of the Islamic Republic in 1979 –– and it’s hard to underestimate just how complex the discussions have been.

Beyond what was said in the room, technical papers were exchanged and reviewed repeatedly. But the two sides were simply too far apart, not just in substance, but in style and temperament. The respective delegations went into these talks with vastly different approaches: US Vice PresidentJD Vanceappeared to be after a relatively quick solution after the implementation of a two-week ceasefire, but Tehran typically moves much slower,negotiating over the long term.

With Vance saying America has put forward its “best and final” offer, the ball now seems to sit firmly in the Iranian court. And if there are going to be more talks, Iran will have to change its position somehow.

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Iran believes the talksfailed because of “excessive” US demands, and it’s clear from both sides that nuclear enrichment is a key sticking point. Tehran has insisted for years it would not build a nuclear weapon and that it only wished to pursue a nuclear power program, but its actions ramping up the level of enrichment of uranium in recent years caused great concern in the West — and were the catalyst for last year’s 12-day conflict with Israel. Iran still appears unwilling to give up on enrichment. The White House wants a cast-iron commitment that Iran won’t build a nuclear weapon.

As the talks played out, we saw various statements released through Iranian media that appeared aimed at a domestic audience, some explaining why Tehran had even entered diplomatic talks at all with its longtime enemy. Its foreign ministry went so far as to spell out that diplomacy was “the continuation of the sacred jihad of the defenders of the Iranian land.”

The two-week ceasefire itself was struck against the backdrop of a maximalist threat from US President Donald Trump to annihilate a civilization and blow up Iran’s power plants and key infrastructure. Whether that threat comes into play again is now a key question.

Two other fundamental questions hang in the air: How will Iran respond to the US walking away? And how much longer will the global economy be stuck in limbo?

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byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 14, 2026

Failure of US-Iran talks is a blow to hopes of finding an off-ramp to crisis

We watched the sun go down in Islamabad and then come up again as these marathon talks went on. To endwithout a dealmarks a fundamental...

Read More