Nicole Kidman's niece has spoken of the "excruciating" loss following the death of the actress' father in 2014.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman

Psychologist and biochemist Dr. Antony Kidman died suddenly of a heart attack in Singapore four years ago, closely followed by the death of his former son-in-law Angus Hawley the following year and Angus' daughter Lucia Hawley, 20, said it was a difficult time for the whole family.

According to Australia's Daily Telegraph, while speaking at a mental health unit renamed in Antony's memory at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Lucia said: "He was always searching for a way to make people's lives easier, especially those who are struggling. The loss was excruciating."

Speaking previously about her father's death, Nicole, 50, admitted that her grief was overwhelming.

She said: "There are times you go, 'Gosh, I wish I could just go and hide in a hole and never come out'.

And she praised her musician husband Keith Urban with helping her to get through it.

She said: "To have my husband just step up that way ... it makes me cry. We all go through hard times in our lives, but to be literally carried by your partner, and physically, at times, because I was so devastated."

Nicole cherishes her own childhood memories of her father and vividly remembers him bringing mice to her school to talk about science.

She said: "And all the kids are looking at me like I am crazy."

The actress previously admitted that the "massive tragedy" had a big effect on her.

She said: "Personally [it's been] really really really hard. My family underwent a massive tragedy. So not the best year. But I try not to be ungrateful - I'm grateful to be alive."


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