Announcing… Nicole Kidman!

Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support Announces Nicole Kidman as Keynote Speaker for 27^th Annual Luncheon
Leigh Anne Haugh to Serve as Luncheon Chair

(Dallas, Texas) – Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support today announced Nicole Kidman as the keynote speaker of the 27^th annual Genesis Luncheon. Kidman joins a highly-respected list of past luncheon speakers, including President George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Tyler Perry, Hilary Swank and most recently, Terry Crews. Leigh Anne Haugh will serve as the 2020 Luncheon Chair, leading the way in joining Genesis Women’s Shelter in its mission to end domestic violence. The luncheon will be held Friday, May 8, 2020, at the Hilton Anatole.

Leigh Anne Haugh is a proud single mother of two children: her son Logan, nine, and her daughter Audrey Anne, seven. As a dedicated volunteer in the Dallas community for more than 25 years, she served as president of the Junior League of Dallas (2010-2011) and has participated in a variety of organizations such as The Crystal Charity Ball and Community Partners of Dallas. Leigh Anne has chaired several events in town and is especially passionate about charities that help women and children.

“Between her esteemed role in the community and her passion for ending violence against women, Leigh Anne brings experience and philanthropic perspective to her role as Luncheon Chair,” said Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support. “We are honored to work alongside Leigh Anne to present keynote speaker and award-winning actress Nicole Kidman.”

Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman first came to the attention of American audiences with her critically acclaimed performance in Phillip Noyce’s riveting 1989 Australian psychological thriller “Dead Calm.” Kidman has since become an internationally-recognized, award-winning actress known for her range and versatility.

In 2002, Kidman was honored with her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Baz Luhrmann’s innovative musical, “Moulin Rouge!” For that role, and her performance in writer/director Alejandro Amenabar’s psychological thriller “The Others,” she received dual 2002 Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2003, Kidman won four more awards, including an Oscar, for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours.” Since 2010, her performances in films such as “Rabbit Hole,” “The Paperboy” and “Lion” earned her multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts nominations.

Kidman returned to the small screen in 2017 with the HBO limited series Big Little Lies, which she also produced through her production company Blossom Films. She received an Emmy Award, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and SAG Award for her portrayal of Celeste Wright – a former attorney turned stay-at-home mom with a seemingly perfect life, but whose husband is abusive behind closed doors. In 2019, Big Little Lies returned for a second season, where Kidman opened audience’s eyes to the fact that domestic violence is a complex issue that can affect anyone.

“Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Celeste in Big Little Lies shined a light on the secrecy and shame surrounding domestic violence – a monster that feeds in the dark and behind closed doors,” said Jan Langbein. “Thanks to her realistic representation of the complexities surrounding domestic violence, we know that someone watched the show and realized that they may be in an abusive relationship. Now, we’re partnering together to take the next step and say that there is help and there is hope at Genesis Women’s Shelter.”

Before her illustrious career, Kidman was already deeply familiar with a number of women’s issues. As a child, her mother was a part of the Women’s Electoral Lobby in Australia and often brought Kidman along with her to hand out pamphlets. However, her work was only just beginning: in January of 2006, Kidman was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia. She was also named, and continues to serve, as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UN Women, whose goals are to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality, to raise awareness of the infringement on women’s human rights around the world and to end violence against women.

The 2020 Genesis Women’s Shelter Luncheon will be held on Friday, May 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole Dallas located at 2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207. Sponsorships begin at $2,500. If available, individual tickets will go on sale in April 2020. For more information, visit www.genesisshelter.org/luncheon.

About Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support
Since opening its doors in 1985, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support has provided safety, shelter and expert counseling services to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Genesis is committed to removing every roadblock a woman might face on her journey to the abuse-free life she deserves. These life-changing include an emergency shelter, long-term housing, an award-winning onsite, K-12 school, daycare, access to legal representation and cutting-edge therapeutics. Genesis serves more than 2,500 women and children each year, and relies on the generous support of the Dallas community to continue providing these services at no cost to clients. For more information, visit www.genesisshelter.org.