Five Signs That Showed Tension in Marriage Between Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Before Their Reported Separation

The “Babygirl” actress and the “Somebody Like You” musician’s idyllic relationship has ended after over 20 years of on-screen romance, shocking Hollywood and heartbreaking fans everywhere.

According to sources earlier this week, country music icon Keith Urban and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman have formally split up. This ends what was once thought to be one of the strongest marriages in the profession. However, for years, fissures had been developing beneath the glamour and meticulously planned public appearances.

The Daily Mail was informed by insiders that the couple’s marriage ended because of their divergent schedules and weakening emotional connection. Urban was out on tour and Kidman was frequently busy on movie projects, so their intimacy waned and the relationship began to feel more like a routine than a genuine collaboration.

The insider went on to say that Kidman was taken aback by Urban’s choice to address their marital problems as a result of his mounting annoyance.

These five incidents, which ranged from early struggles with addiction to a tense farewell public appearance, hinted to potential problems in their nearly two-decade marriage:

Early Days Drug Demons: Urban’s Tragic Addiction Disclosure
Only a few months after the couple’s June 2006 vow exchange, one of the first indications of instability appeared. Urban has publicly acknowledged that his battles with substance abuse almost ended the relationship. In a heartbreaking speech, he remembered:

We were married in June 2006, but just four months later, my addictions, which I had done very little to address, destroyed our marriage, and I spent three months in the Betty Ford Centre. And if you want to see what love in action actually looks like, give that a whirl.”

Urban acknowledged Kidman’s steadfast assistance at the time, but the disclosure revealed a shaky foundation that never entirely recovered.

Urban abruptly ends the interview regarding Kidman’s love scenes, causing radio silence.
When one of the hosts of a July 2025 Zoom interview asked Urban a seemingly harmless question regarding Kidman’s on-screen chemistry with younger performers, indications of unease reappeared earlier this year.

Max Burford, the host, enquired, “The first thing that came to me was your stunning wife, Nicole Kidman, who is often featured in amazing films and television series. When Keith Urban witnesses his lovely wife having these lovely love moments on TV and radio with attractive younger men like Zac Efron, what does he think?

The call ended a few seconds later. “I think his team hung up on us because they didn’t want us to ask that question,” said the producer of the show. “Oh, I knew that would happen,” said co-host Hayley Peterson. […] Talking about his wife bothers him. Listeners were struck in disbelief by the heated argument, which also made them wonder what was actually happening behind closed doors.

Kidman Hinted about Struggles Years Ago
Kidman was open about the work required to maintain the marriage as early as 2021. She disclosed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar:

“We’re constantly figuring things out, but there’s a lot of give and take because it’s really love orientated. He reacts similarly to my desire for him to live the best life possible. We truly enjoy being parents together.

Although the remarks were loving, they suggested a partnership that was difficult to maintain and not at all like the easy romance fans had envisioned.

The Alarm-Signaling Portugal Move When Kidman discreetly registered for residency in Portugal in July and purchased a home in the peaceful seaside village of Melides without Urban by her side, rumours began to swirl. According to sources, Urban’s tour obligations prevented him from attending the appointment. Nevertheless, he was supposed to submit his application at a later time that worked for him.

But according to reports, the couple was living apart by September. Several reports claim that Kidman was largely responsible for keeping the home together while Urban was away for extended periods of time. He left their shared family home at the same time and found a separate residence in Nashville.

Last Public Presence Chilling Distance Marks
When they showed up together at a FIFA Club World Cup game in Nashville in June, it was their final public appearance as a couple. Though sat side by side, the photographs depicted a distinct coldness.

“At one point, Nicole is fiddling with her left hand, which is a sign of tension, but we do not know what it is about,” body language expert Louise Mahler told the Daily Mail.

“He is looking away, but Nicole is looking at him, it is an odd look,” the body language expert continued. As many had suspected, the pictures proved that the magic had vanished.

After over two decades together, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s marriage ended with a quiet estrangement that had been seething beneath the surface for a long time, rather than the idyllic promise it started with. As they deal with the private and public repercussions of their split, the couple is nonetheless bonded together as co-parents to their daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

One thing is certain: the love story that once enthralled millions of people has entered a new, uncertain chapter. This is true whether it signifies a brief halt or the final breakup of one of show business’s most enduring marriages.