Nicole Brown Simpson‘s mother Juditha took on the daunting responsibility of telling Nicole’s children about her death … her sister Dominique revealed in a new interview.

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of Nicole’s murder, her sibling shared with People insight into how the family operated in the wake of their tragic loss. Per Dominique, Nicole’s kids Sydney and Justin, who were just 8 and 5 at the time, were told “Mommy’s in heaven” by Juditha.

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Dominique recalled how she and her sisters stepped in to help with Sydney and Justin, whom she tried to protect from the horrifying realities of the situation.

She shared … “I knew that was the role I was supposed to undertake. There was Denise’s son, my son, Sydney and Justin. We played together, ate together, went to the beach together — everything together. It was to help them heal and do things that were fun.”

Remember, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman, were brutally stabbed to death on June 12, 1994. Nicole’s ex-husband, NFL legend O.J. Simpson, was later charged with the murders … but was acquitted after a highly publicized trial.

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However, O.J. was later found liable for Nicole and Ron’s deaths in a 1997 civil suit. The controversial athlete passed away back in April after a battle with cancer.

BTW … OJ nearly decapitated Nicole and left her on the front porch — were it not for the family dog summoning a neighbor in the middle of the night, her two children would have come downstairs the next morning to see the horrific scene.

Nicole’s sisters lost touch with Sydney and Justin in the years after the murder trial … and only learned the extent of their struggles by watching a forthcoming docuseries on Lifetime.

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Dominique said Nicole would be proud of her kids today … as they have chosen to focus on their own families and stay out of the spotlight.

Perhaps it’s for the best???