Hollywood was shaken this week by the sudden and tragic end of one of its most cherished unions: the 19-year marriage between Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and country music icon Keith Urban.
News of their split was confirmed in late September, with an insider initially suggesting: ‘Sometimes relationships just run their course.’ This follows claims that Nicole, 58, and Keith, 57, had been living apart, with the country music artist reportedly vacating their Nashville residence, where they reside with daughters Sunday, 17, and Faith, 14.
The world is taken aback by their separation, but a source reveals that Australian actress Nicole is as astonished as anyone. The actress filed for divorce in Nashville on September 30, citing irreconcilable differences, but insiders claim she ‘didn’t want this.’
An unnamed informant told Heat UK: ‘Keith has moved out and pulled away from Nicole, and it’s all happened without a whole lot of explanation.’
The source claims Keith believes the split ‘shouldn’t come as a shock to her’ as they’ve ‘been leading separate lives for years. She says she was really blindsided by this, and as you can imagine, she’s really struggling to accept it.’
IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these claims.
Keith Urban’s Cold Exit: ‘Showing No Signs Of Wanting To Fix Things’
The devastating truth, according to insiders, is that Keith Urban initiated the split and is showing no interest in reconciliation.
The informant added: ‘For months, Nicole’s been hanging onto the hope that Keith would change his mind, but it’s not looking good. Poor Nicole is really struggling. The last thing she wants is a divorce, but Keith is so detached. He’s showing no signs of wanting to fix things, and she feels completely shut out.’
Nicole, formerly married to Tom Cruise of Top Gun fame from 1990 to 2001, famously found a happy ending with Keith Urban. The two encountered each other at the annual G’Day USA gala in January 2005. They married in an extravagant ceremony in Sydney in June 2006, and subsequently had two children, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.
Reflecting on her previous marriage to Tom at the age of 23, Nicole, who has two older children, Bella, 32, and Connor, 30, with the actor, previously remarked, ‘I was essentially a child when I married.’
The Demon Keith Urban Once Credited Nicole For Defeating
Nicole and Keith’s relationship was not consistently idyllic. The country music artist has candidly discussed his struggles with addiction, leading to multiple rehabilitation admissions shortly after their wedding.
Opening up about his battle, Keith shared earlier this year: ‘All through the years of drinking and doing drugs and all the rest of it, I always had this very specific voice inside of me that goes, ‘One day, you’re gonna come to a crossroads or a fork in the road, and it’ll be the final one.’
That crossroads was none other than Nicole, with Grammy winner Keith sharing that his wife called for an intervention shortly after they married.
Revealing that his new bride urged him to enter rehab, Keith revealed in a 2010 interview: ‘That’s the point right there where she really should have walked. I’m just so glad she didn’t, and she made a decision to turn around and initiate ultimately this intervention, and it was done in such a way that the love in the room at that moment was just right.’
He later added: ‘I was spiritually awoken with [Nicole]. I use the expression ‘I was born into her,’ and that’s how I feel. And for the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction.’
Why Friends Are Now Worried About Keith Urban’s Behaviour
Having walked alongside now-sober Keith through his struggles before, a source reveals that Nicole is feeling concerned over her ex’s recent behaviour. It claimed: ‘Nicole can’t help but worry, because she’s not the only one Keith’s pushing away.’ Earlier this year, ‘he let go of a bunch of his band members, including his bassist Jerry Flowers who’s been with him for 25 years.’
The insider added that Keith ‘didn’t really give a reason, he just said he felt it was time for a change. He was pretty callous about it, and now it seems he’s pulling the same act with Nicole. Of course, people are worried about what could be behind all of this.’
This detached behaviour comes after rumours had swirled earlier this year when the Moulin Rouge actress was revealed to have filed for citizenship in Portugal, over 4000 miles from her and Keith’s Nashville family home.
As well as reportedly house-hunting in the idyllic European city, Nicole also submitted her application to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) with only her name on the paperwork—sparking speculation that this was one move she was considering doing solo.
An insider shared at the time: ‘This has really come as a bolt from the blue for people, who can’t understand why she’d get citizenship somewhere without Keith. They’ve just celebrated a big anniversary and were very lovey-dovey, so any sort of friction would certainly be a shock. But they’re both very practised at putting on a front for the fans, so it’s not out of the question.’
Sadly, the source now reveals that putting on a front is no longer an option for the once-happy couple. A mole shared: ‘Nicole isn’t ready to give up on Keith or her marriage, but sadly, there’s not much she can do at this stage. Keith seems to have made his mind up, and she’s having to come to terms with this and move forward. They’ve been together for so many years, and it really did seem like they were going to go the distance. Nicole is very sad – as is everyone.’
Will the support of her family and sister be enough to see Nicole Kidman through this painful divorce, or is there still hope for reconciliation? Follow IBTimes UK for all the latest on this heartbreaking Hollywood split.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
