Keith Urban Takes a Nasty Swipe at Ex Nicole Kidman as $325Million Divorce Battle Explodes — Hints He Wanted 'to Break Out of a Soul-Sucking Routine'
Keith Urban appeared to shade Nicole Kidman on his new reality show.
Oct. 20 2025, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Keith Urban took a subtle swipe at his estranged wife, Nicole Kidman during the first episode of his new reality competition show, RadarOnline.com can report.
Urban previously opened up on The Road about how "lonely and miserable" touring can be.
Urban sang a song he linked to a 'soul-sucking' routine.
Urban's new show, which premiered on CBS over the weekend, follows 12 emerging musicians as they compete to be Urban's opening act on tour.
During one part of the program, the 57-year-old entertained the competitors with his song Straight Line from his most recent album, High.
The song choice was interesting, considering he had previously revealed on Instagram that there is a personal meaning to his music.
"I'm gonna cover a lot of themes, emotions and vibes on this album but a very human spirit runs through them all," he shared. "'Straight Line' is wanting to break out of a soul-sucking routine that you might be stuck in. Maybe in a relationship, a job, with creativity, with yourself...whatever it is.
"It’s a message of feeling alive again and getting out from under that dark cloud."
The Pain Of Touring Revealed
The singer previously mentioned life touring is lonely.
It wasn't the only time during the first episode that he seemed to throw some hidden messages Kidman's way.
Elsewhere in the show, which was filmed weeks before his separation from Kidman was announced, Urban got candid about the sacrifices touring takes.
"When you wake up on a tour bus at 3:30 in the morning and you're sick as a dog, you're in the middle of nowhere and you've got to play your fifth show later that night," Urban rattled off. "And you haven't slept, and you miss your friends, and you're missing your family, and you're completely lonely and miserable and sick, and you say to yourself, 'Why am I doing this?'
"The only answer can be: Because this is what I'm born to do."
Urban's Heavy Workload
Kidman filed for divorce last month.
Urban's comments backed up the reasoning from insiders that his brutal career workload took a toll on his marriage.
"Nicole and Keith were seeing less and less of each other in recent times, and it felt to a lot of people like they were two ships that passed in the night," a source previously claimed.
"During those periods, they’d still put on a smile, and there was something to promote, but in hindsight, it feels like they were living a bit of a lie. They were clearly in trouble going on in the background," the insider shared.
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Divorce Devastation
The couple had actually been living apart for much longer.
Kidman stunned the world when she filed for divorce on September 30, citing "irreconcilable differences." The pair will share custody of their daughters, who will live primarily with their mom.
But in reality, Urban had been living apart from his 58-year-old wife and their two daughters, since June, while already reportedly exploring new romances with other women.
"Nicole is devastated and humiliated by the rumors. She is extremely image-focused and hates people whispering about troubles," a source claimed about the Big Little Lies star.
"She tried hard to save the marriage, but Keith’s thrown it all back in her face. The news that he’s supposedly got himself a new girlfriend has wrecked any slim hope she still had,” the insider continued.
