Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman is opening up about her emotional journey following her split from musician Keith Urban, describing the experience as feeling like she is free-falling. In a wide-ranging interview with British Vogue, the 59-year-old star discussed navigating a second high-profile divorce under intense media scrutiny. Kidman filed for divorce from Urban in Nashville in September 2025 after 19 years of marriage, citing marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences. The separation was finalized out of court by January without requiring either party to appear at a hearing.
Nicole Kidman Reflects on Second Divorce and Uncertainty
Kidman admitted that the unexpected end to her marriage left her dealing with unfamiliar emotional terrain. I had a different view of what my life was going to be, but this is what it is now.
You make all these plans and you have all these ideas of what it’s all going to be like and then it’s… not.
You have to adjust.
You adapt.
The future, it’s completely unknown to me right now.
When asked if the transition felt frightening, Kidman acknowledged experiencing profound vulnerability. And then at the same time [I’m] going: ‘Well, I can either really not confront it and just curl up, or I can just go forward with an enormous amount of hope.’
Resolving the Split and Protecting Family
Unlike many protracted celebrity legal battles, the separation between Kidman and Urban proceeded smoothly. According to Nine, the former couple finalized their divorce in a little over three months without a trial. Court documents obtained by People showed that both parties agreed to waive all child and spousal support rights, while establishing a joint parenting plan for their daughters, Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith Margaret, 15. The pair also agreed to handle major decisions regarding their children jointly.
Reflecting on her decision-making process, Kidman noted that she relies primarily on intuition rather than over-analysis. I’ve approached my whole life like that,
she told Vogue. That’s just who I am. I don’t overthink things and I’m probably not that analytical. I’m far more feeling-centred and I lead with my heart. I just go, ‘OK, what do I feel here? I’ll give it a go.’ It throws people, because I think they think I’ll be far more measured and I’m not.
Looking Back at Marriage to Tom Cruise and Career Warnings
Facing public scrutiny over a marital split is not new for Kidman. She previously endured intense media attention during her high-profile divorce from actor Tom Cruise in 2001, after an 11-year marriage that began when she was 23 years old. Comparing her past divorce to her recent separation from Urban, Kidman noted, It’s all new. Every time!
Recalling her early years with Cruise, whom she met while filming the 1990 movie Days of Thunder, Kidman explained that falling in love felt entirely natural despite the age gap and his massive star status. However, she remembered people warning her at the time that marrying one of Hollywood’s biggest actors could negatively impact her professional trajectory. I’m like, ‘I don’t care.
I’m in love.
I want to be married.’
When those predictions came true and she found herself primarily identified as a celebrity spouse, Kidman remained unapologetic. And then I was his wife and they were like, ‘See, we told you,’
she said. I’m like, ‘So what? I wasn’t meant to marry the man I love? Of course I’ll throw my career away. I don’t care.’
Following her 2001 divorce from Cruise—with whom she adopted two children, Isabella and Connor—Kidman’s career continued to thrive, highlighted by an Academy Award win for her performance in 2002’s The Hours, alongside roles in Moulin Rouge!, The Others, and Rabbit Hole. Today, amid her ongoing artistic projects—including starring in the Taylor Sheridan television series Lioness and preparing for the September release of Practical Magic 2 alongside Sandra Bullock—Kidman continues to embrace the unknown. I’ve always wanted to live a well-examined life, so what does that entail?
she told Vogue. Trying things, making mistakes, failing, getting back up, moving on, embracing love, staying open, keeping the heart open and the possibilities.
