EXCLUSIVE: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Were 'Living Separate Lives for 3 YEARS' Before Finally Splitting
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban 'have lived apart for three years' before finally splitting.
Oct. 1 2025, Published 6:54 p.m. ET
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had been living apart for up to three years before their marriage finally broke down, with friends saying the couple had become like "two ships passing in the night," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Oscar-winning actor, 58, and the country singer, 57, were married for 19 years but had struggled with clashing work schedules, with Kidman filming back-to-back projects while Urban spent months on the road on a world tour.
Court filings in Nashville show Kidman filed for divorce this week, citing irreconcilable differences.
Years of Distance Took Their Toll
Nicole Kidman filed for divorce after 19 years of marriage.
A source said: "Nicole tried to hold on to the marriage, but they were hardly spending time together. They had been apart in every sense long before the divorce papers were filed."
Urban is understood to have ended the relationship privately six months ago, though Kidman was said to be blindsided by the decision after years of supporting him through battles with addiction.
The pair, who share daughters Sunday, 17, and Faith, 14, submitted a childcare plan naming Kidman the primary residential parent.
Neither will pay child or spousal support, with both keeping assets and royalties in their own names.
Addiction Struggles Cast Long Shadow
Friends say Nicole and Keith had lived apart for nearly three years.
The separation comes after years of strain. Urban, a four-time Grammy winner, has long spoken publicly about the risk of relapse.
While on tour in 2022 he admitted: "I know if I go back in that direction it will be the end of my marriage – absolutely no doubt. She wouldn't forgive me again, I definitely know that."
Friends said Kidman was deeply affected by the responsibility. One insider added: "Nicole was constantly concerned about Keith's drinking and felt the need to watch over him. She meant well, but the pressure became hard for them both."
Work Commitments Kept Them Apart
Work schedules left the couple with 'phone calls, not marriage.'
Work commitments also took their toll. Another source said: "With Keith on tour and her busy filming, their time together was almost non-existent. Eventually, their contact was mostly phone calls, more like co-workers than spouses."
Kidman's own projects also contributed to the strain. She spent much of 2024 working on the erotic thriller Babygirl, which demanded emotionally intense scenes.
A source said: "The movie really took a toll on her, leaving her exhausted both physically and emotionally, and it only piled pressure onto a marriage that was already struggling."
Rumors of New Romance
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Speculation in Nashville links Urban to another woman post-split.
The actress was photographed wearing her wedding ring only days before the divorce filing. But Urban had already purchased his own Nashville property earlier this year and, according to friends, was communicating with Kidman mostly by phone.
The couple were last seen together publicly in June at a FIFA Club World Cup match in Nashville. Kidman later shared summer photos on Instagram including her daughters and younger sister Antonia – but not Urban.
Speculation in Nashville has linked Urban to another woman in the music industry, though no details have been confirmed. A friend of Kidman said: "For Nicole, just hearing talk that Keith may have moved on so soon has been really hard. Loyalty is something she's always held close."
The couple's combined fortune is estimated at around $300 million, with properties in Sydney, Beverly Hills, Manhattan and Nashville. Sources said financial arrangements have yet to be finalized. Before Urban, Kidman was married to Tom Cruise for 11 years. They adopted two children together before divorcing in 2001.
