EXCLUSIVE: The Brutal Truths Behind Nicole Kidman's Bust-Up With Her Ex Tom Cruise As She Deals With Another Failed Marriage
Nicole Kidman has famously faced heartbreak before, which includes her failed marriage to Tom Cruise.
Oct. 1 2025, Published 4:57 p.m. ET
Nicole Kidman has famously faced heartbreak before, and as her 19-year marriage to Keith Urban appears to collapse, memories of her split from Tom Cruise have resurfaced – a break-up RadarOnline.com has all the details on.
Kidman, 58, filed for divorce from Urban, 57, last week after months of speculation the pair was living apart.
Nicole Kidman's Marriage To Tom Cruise
In 2001, Cruise filed for divorce, reportedly citing irreconcilable differences.
But decades earlier, her marriage to Cruise, now 63, also ended abruptly when he walked away after 11 years together, leaving her reeling.
A source said: "Nicole believed everything with Tom was ideal, so when he filed for divorce it completely blindsided her.
"She had relied on him so much that the breakup was devastating."
Kidman and Cruise first met in 1989 while filming Days of Thunder. They married a year later, adopting daughter Isabella, now 32, and son Connor, 30, during their time together.
But in 2001, Cruise filed for divorce, reportedly citing irreconcilable differences.
Healing For The Marriage
Kidman has discussed her age when she was married to Cruise.
Reflecting years later, Kidman said: "I thought our life together was perfect. It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system. We were in a bubble, just the two of us.
"We became very dependent on one another. I was reeling with Tom. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for him.... I was totally smitten – I fell madly, passionately in love."
She also admitted her age had shaped her view of the marriage.
"I was a child, really, when I got married," she said. "And I needed to grow up."
Reports have long linked the split to Kidman's unwillingness to commit to the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a member.
Cruise is said to remain affected by his divorce from Kidman.
Former church spokesman Mike Rinder claimed in his memoir that Scientology influenced the break-up, though the church has denied this.
The cult has also been cited in Cruise's later divorce from Katie Holmes, who allegedly wanted to protect their daughter, Suri, now 17, from the institution.
Cruise is said to remain affected by his divorce from Kidman.
A Hollywood source claimed he avoided the 2023 Oscars to sidestep a public reunion.
The source said: "Tom skipped the event because Nicole was attending. He wanted to avoid crossing paths with her."
At the time of their split, photographs appeared to show Kidman jubilant as she left her lawyer's office with her arms raised.
The image later became a meme.
But Kidman has since dismissed the interpretation of the snap, saying: "That was not me. That was for a film. That wasn't real life, I know that image!'"
She added viral images rarely tell the whole story, recalling another picture of her applauding awkwardly because of a heavy borrowed ring.
Moving On With Keith Urban
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After Cruise, Kidman married the country singer in 2006 in Sydney.
After Cruise, Kidman married Urban in 2006 in Sydney.
But insiders say the couple has also struggled in recent years.
One said: "Keith and Nicole rarely cross paths – she's tied up with filming while he’s out on tour. There's love between them still, and they might not go through with a divorce, but at this point they aren’t living like a couple."
