It’s the Hollywood love story many of us thought would go the distance: Australia’s own Nicole Kidman and country music star Keith Urban. But after 19 years together, reports are emerging that the pair have quietly separated.
According to TMZ, and later confirmed by People, the couple have been living apart since the beginning of the US summer. Harper’s Bazaar also reports that the split has not been entirely amicable, with insiders suggesting Urban moved into a separate residence in Nashville earlier this year, while Kidman had been keen to save the marriage.
Despite the speculation, the couple kept up appearances in recent months. In June, Kidman marked their anniversary on Instagram with a sweet photo tribute, while Urban continued his US touring schedule. Kidman, meanwhile, was in London, finishing work on the long-awaited sequel Practical Magic 2.
For many, the news is a shock. Kidman and Urban have long been regarded as one of Hollywood’s most enduring pairings, weathering public scrutiny and personal challenges, including Urban’s time in rehab just months after their wedding in 2006.
A star-studded partnership
Both stars brought formidable careers into their marriage.
Kidman, now 58, is one of the world’s most celebrated actresses. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Hours in 2003 and has captivated audiences in films such as Moulin Rouge!, Cold Mountain, The Others and Lion. In recent years she’s become a fixture on the small screen too, producing and starring in acclaimed dramas like Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Expats. Beyond the screen, Kidman has long been committed to humanitarian work, serving as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and UN Women.
Urban, 57, is one of country music’s brightest stars. With hits like Somebody Like You, Blue Ain’t Your Color and You’ll Think of Me, he’s collected Grammys, CMA and ACM awards, and carved out a reputation as one of the genre’s most skilled guitarists. Fans also know him from his stints as a coach on The Voice and a judge on American Idol. His song The Fighter, a 2017 duet inspired by his relationship with Kidman, remains a fan favourite.
Family life and past loves
This was Kidman’s second marriage. She famously wed Tom Cruise in 1990 after they met on the set of Days of Thunder. The couple adopted two children, Isabella and Connor, before divorcing in 2001.
For Urban, Kidman was his first and only wife. The pair wed in a lavish ceremony in Sydney in June 2006, and went on to welcome two daughters together — Sunday Rose in 2008 and Faith Margaret in 2010.
What happens next?
At this stage, neither Kidman nor Urban has made a public statement about the reports, and whether their separation will lead to divorce remains to be seen. What is clear is that the end of their marriage marks the close of a chapter that inspired fans both in Australia and around the world.
For many in their 60s, who watched Kidman blossom from a curly-haired teenager in Bush Christmas to one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, and Urban rise from the Brisbane pub scene to Nashville superstardom, the news feels particularly poignant.
It’s a reminder that even fairy-tale romances can face challenges behind the scenes — and that love, no matter how glamorous, requires constant work.
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