Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban Donate $500,000 to Australian Fire Relief as Their House 'Is Under Threat'
Nicole Kidman is keeping the victims and first responders of the devastating Australian wildfires in her thoughts.
“Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have donated $500,000 to Rural Fire Service,” a rep for Kidman tells PEOPLE.
“Their house is not on fire. It is under threat, so they are keeping a close eye on it,” the actress’ rep adds.
On Saturday, one day before the Golden Globe Awards, Kidman, 52, was visibly upset when she attended the Gold Meets Golden event in Beverly Hills, during which the Big Little Lies star, who is nominated for best performance by an actress in a television series, told reporters: “I’m so sorry I’m so distracted by what’s happening in Australia.”
“Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia. We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now,” Kidman shared on Instagram Saturday.
Urban, 52, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, also shared the same statement on Instagram.
RELATED: Pink Donates $500,000 to Aid Australian Fire Relief: ‘I Am Totally Devastated’
A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman) on Jan 4, 2020 at 3:10pm PST
Celebrities, including Pink and Celeste Barber, are pledging to help those affected by the wildfires, which have claimed the lives of at least 17 people and burned through more than 11 million acres since it sparked in September.
As the more than 130 fires continue to burn, ecologists from the University of Sydney believe almost half a billion total mammals, birds and reptiles have also died in the fires since September.
A post shared by Keith Urban (@keithurban) on Jan 4, 2020 at 3:27pm PST
Last Wednesday — one day after what was reportedly deemed the deadliest day of the fire crisis since its start — Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help victims and communities in need.
As of last Thursday, there were 2,000 firefighters working in New South Wales alone, with additional help arriving from the United States, Canada and New Zealand.
RELATED: How to Help Australian Fire Victims and the Half a Billion Animals Impacted by the Blazes
In addition to the animals, the ravaging blazes have left at least 17 people dead — including two firefighters, Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer — and many others unaccounted for, as well as forced hundreds from their homes and left thousands stranded, CNN reported.
Millions of acres of land across the continent have also been destroyed from the flames, including 8.9 million acres of land in New South Wales, 2.9 million acres in Western Australia, 1.9 million acres in Victoria, at least 618,000 acres in Queensland, and more than 225,000 acres in South Australia, according to CNN.
Reporting by ABBY STERN
