In surprising celebrity news, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have called it quits after nearly two decades of marriage. The separation sparked a wave of speculation about what led to their split. After 20 years together and two teenage daughters, fans naturally have questions—but according to insiders, the star of The Hours is handling the heartbreak with calm and grace, but had one major dread.
The Best Actress Oscar winner filed for divorce in Nashville on September 30, one day after reports surfaced that she and Urban had separated earlier in the summer. The Big Little Lies star was reportedly “stressed” about the impending media attention surrounding her marriage’s end, and an unnamed source told People that Kidman had been bracing for the moment the news broke. The insider alleges:
She’s been stressed because she knew the separation would eventually become public and she was dreading it.
The source went on to add that, now that the breakup is public knowledge, the actress is regaining a sense of calm and focus. They continued:
But she’s surprisingly level-headed and calm. Now that it’s out she’s just focused on what’s ahead and her girls.
Kidman, 58, and Urban, 57, married in 2006 and share two daughters—Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14. In her divorce filing, the Moulin Rouge! star reportedly requested to be the primary residential parent, emphasizing her desire to keep stability for their teenage children.
Another insider told People that the Dogville lead had “been fighting to save the marriage” and that she “didn’t want this.” Despite that, her family has reportedly rallied around her for support, particularly her sister Antonia, who was seen walking with her in Nashville shortly after the news broke. The insider added that “the entire Kidman family has come together to support one another.”
Neither the Rabbit Hole actress nor the country music star has publicly commented on the split. Their representatives have not responded to requests for a statement, either. For now, it appears that both are prioritizing privacy.
This isn’t the first time Nicole Kidman has endured intense public attention surrounding her private life. Her high-profile relationship with Tom Cruise, which began on the set of a film they starred in together, was a 1990s dominating headline, and she has since spoken about how that experience shaped her perspective on love and resilience. Now, that same sense of openness seems to be guiding her once more. Though her split from Keith Urban marks the end of a long-running Hollywood marriage, the actress is reportedly focused on the future and her family.
Tension between the couple may have surfaced earlier in the year. During a summer radio interview, Urban was asked directly about his wife’s on-screen intimacy with younger co-stars, specifically Zac Efron, her co-star in A Family Affair. Before the host could finish the question, the Zoom call with the singer abruptly disconnected. Around the same time, when Nicole Kidman was asked in a separate interview about the idea of working on a TV project with her husband, she quipped, “No… our life is a show.” It wasn’t exactly the response of someone eager to blur the lines between work and marriage—and, in hindsight, may have hinted at the strain behind the scenes.
Professionally, the actress remains as busy as ever. The Others star recently wrapped filming on Practical Magic 2, and she is expected to return for Lioness Season 3 (available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription). Meanwhile, Urban has kept his own career rolling, continuing his current tour on the country music circuit.