Where It All Went Wrong for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
As the public reels from the news of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s split, insiders are shedding light on the reasons behind their breakup. Behind that timeline, insiders point to growing distance, shifting power in their careers, and long stretches spent on opposite sides of the world as reasons for their ultimate split.
Urban’s decision to walk away from the marriage was said to have “blindsided” Kidman, 58, who had been trying to preserve what remained of their marriage.
The couple’s romance began with cinematic flourish. Introduced by Geoffrey Rush at G’Day LA in 2005, Kidman – already an Oscar winner for The Hours – was instantly drawn to rising country star Urban, now also 58, who had become a Nashville powerhouse with hits like Somebody Like You.
Speaking on Ellen DeGeneres‘s show in 2017, the actress said: “I had such a crush on (Urban,) and he wasn’t interested in me… he didn’t call me for four months.”
Their relationship accelerated quickly once he did call. On Kidman’s 38th birthday, Urban arrived at her New York doorstep at 5 am with gardenias and swept her to Woodstock, a gesture the star later said made her think: “This is the man I hope I get to marry.”
They wed the following year in Sydney, but within months the marriage was tested when Urban entered rehab for alcohol and cocaine addiction.
He told Rollingstone in 2016: “I caused the implosion of my fresh marriage. It survived, but it’s a miracle it did.”
He and Kidman rebuilt, moved to Tennessee, and raised their daughters amid a blend of domestic quiet and global celebrity.
