13 Signs Keith Urban And Nicole Kidman's Relationship Might Not Last

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman first met in 2005 at the G'Day USA gala in Los Angeles. At the time, the Australian actor had ended her relationship with Lenny Kravitz and was living her life as a single mom — Kidman shares two kids with ex-husband, Tom Cruise. 

Urban and Kidman hit it off straight away and exchanged numbers. The two spent a few months getting to know each other before Kidman realized that Urban was the man she wanted to spend her life with. "It was my birthday, and he stood outside with gardenias at 5 a.m. on my stoop in New York," Kidman told People in 2019. "That is when I went, 'This is the man I hope I get to marry.'" And marry she did.

Urban and Kidman got engaged in 2006 and tied the knot the same year. From there, they welcomed two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. While it may seem like everything was roses and butterflies for the lovebirds, they've been through their fair share of challenges — some of which may suggest that their marriage might not last. From meeting later in life to their extremely busy schedules, we're breaking down the signs that suggest Urban and Kidman could be headed for divorce.

When Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban first met, they didn't start dating straight away. The reason? Urban waited a whopping four months to reach out to the "Moulin Rouge" star. In a 2017 interview, Kidman shared what really went down. "I remember thinking I had such a crush on him and he wasn't interested in me," Kidman said on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" (via Today). "It's true. He didn't call me for four months," she continued, adding that she and Urban never actually talked about it. "We're here now and it's all good," she concluded.

As it turns out, Urban was just nervous. In 2024, he shared the reason that he didn't reach out to his wife right away while giving a speech about her. "I was trying to play it cool, but inside I felt like I'd snuck into the royal ball simply because Nic had such a truly otherworldly aura about her," Urban told the crowd at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award gala (via People). "I felt a bit like I was meeting a real-life princess," he continued, later adding, "I was scared. I was nervous to call her." Perhaps Urban thinking that Kidman was out of his league in such a way suggests that their relationship doesn't have staying power.

Another reason that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's marriage may not last is that Kidman has been married before. Her marriage to "Top Gun" actor Tom Cruise was highly publicized and the two were very much the "it" couple. Even after they split, people couldn't help but want a closer look into their lives. After her first marriage failed, Kidman admitted to being cautious when it came to falling in love again. "I'm wary at times, and I've been hurt, but at the same time I much prefer a warm approach rather than a prickly shutdown approach. My husband, Keith, says that when he met me, he said, 'How's your heart?' And I apparently responded, 'Open'" she said in a 2021 interview with Harper's Bazaar.

Statistically speaking, second marriages are at risk due to a number of different factors. Larry F. Waldman, PhD, ABPP, breaks this down in a piece written for Find a Psychologist. Waldman maintains that some 65% of second marriages fail due to a variety of reasons, ranging from kids to jealousy, and everything in between. The psychologist suggests people who go through a divorce seek counseling in order to properly heal and move on from the relationship. It's unknown if Kidman followed any such regimen for her mental health, but issues from her past could creep into her current marriage.

Shortly after tying the knot, Nicole Kidman staged an intervention for Keith Urban who was struggling with his sobriety. In 2022, Urban spoke with The Times about using alcohol and cocaine as a coping mechanism in the early days of his career. The singer went to rehab in 1998, and mere months after he married Kidman, he was admitted to the Betty Ford clinic. "My dad was an alcoholic, so I grew up in an alcoholic house and it took me a long time to believe I was wired the same," he told the outlet of his addiction struggles. 

During his tribute to Kidman at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Awards, Urban candidly spoke about going to rehab. "Barely four months into our marriage, the addictions that I had done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens," he told the audience (via News.com.au). "Four months into a marriage, and I'm in rehab for three months with no idea what was going to happen to us. If you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl," he said. He credits his wife with choosing "love" and ultimately saving his life. Urban's sobriety could be enough to put a strain on his marriage, but the strain that Kidman was under during that time could also cause resentment down the road.

In 2008, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban decided to lay down some roots in Nashville, Tennessee. They purchased a humble 10,925-square-foot abode for $3.47 million and lived quietly outside of the hustle and bustle of New York City and Los Angeles. While that seemed like a good spot for them given their respective careers, travel schedules, and growing family, things got a bit hectic in 2022. When Kidman's mother fell ill, she and Urban decided it was best to move to Australia. The move was a no-brainer for the family, especially Kidman who wanted to be close to her mother during her time of need. However, living Down Under made travel a little tricky for Urban. The country music artist has tour stops all over the world, and with many of those venues located in the U.S., it undoubtedly made things complicated. 

Kidman's mother died in September 2024. "My sister and I along with our family want to thank you for the outpouring of love and kindness we have felt this week," Kidman captioned an Instagram post. Loss of such a great magnitude can weigh heavily on a marriage if its foundation isn't strong.

After Nicole Kidman married Keith Urban, she decided it was best to leave the past in the past — so she burned her journals. "If you know what is going on inside somebody's head all the time that's not a good place," she told British GQ in 2009 (via People). "You can't read somebody's diary. You shouldn't read it. I burnt most of my journals after I remarried ... You're only going to find out bad things." Kidman didn't elaborate on what she wrote in her journal, but it sounds like there may have been details in there she wouldn't want Urban to ever read.

Kidman also admitted that she'd been checking out how different types of love felt to her. "My life has been about exploring types of love. I've explored obsession, I've explored loss and love in terms of being in a grief-stricken place, I've explored strange sexual fetish stuff, I've explored the mundane aspect of marriage, and monogamy. But I'm still on that journey," Kidman admitted three years into her marriage.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban don't seem to be on the same page when it comes to what they share publicly. Kidman appears to be a little more private and conservative whereas Urban tends to share a bit more with the public. For example, Urban has used Kidman as a muse for his music — and even sang about their sex life in his lyrics, such as in the song "Gemini." Urban sings, "She's a maniac in the bed, but a brainiac in her head." During an appearance on the Australian radio show "The Kyle and Jackie O Show" (via WDJX) in 2019, Kidman admitted that some of the stuff makes her uncomfortable. "It is embarrassing but at the same time, yes, it's better than saying, 'God, I'm so bored ... Make an effort, Nicole,'" she said.

In 2023, Urban wanted to share some never-before-seen footage from his wedding to Kidman during one of his shows in Las Vegas, but said that he needed to get his wife's permission to do so. In an interview with People, Urban said he talked the idea over with his wife, ultimately getting the okay to show "just a little bit" of the tape.

Not unlike plenty of A-list couples, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have found themselves the subjects of many divorce rumors over the years. In 2018, for example, Life & Style ran a story that claimed Urban walked out on his wife following some fights. "Keith has moved out of the family home he shares with Nicole after a string of arguments. He's been staying at a five-star hotel in LA," a source told the outlet. "Keith's been leaning on his brother, Shane, and has a group of close childhood friends who he's been talking to daily," the source continued. However, as of 2024, the two are still together. Of course, one could always argue that where there's smoke, there's fire.

Either way, it's no secret that stories like that can take their toll, and the rumors can be especially hard on the kids. While chatting on "The Kyle and Jackie O Show" (via Entertainment Tonight), Urban expressed just how tough those rumors are on the whole family. "When you have kids it changes, you know because that's really hurtful to kids because they don't quite understand," he said.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are very supportive of each other's respective careers, but sometimes their schedules get in the way, and this can definitely cause some tension in any marriage. In 2022, Urban was forced to fly to Nashville for the CMA Awards without his wife. Evidently, Kidman was in Baltimore, Maryland, working on the Paramount+ show, "Lioness." While walking the red carpet solo, Urban was faced with questions about where his wife was and why she wasn't by his side. "We weren't quite expecting this to happen, but film schedules are unpredictable," Urban told E! News. "She misses being here tonight too," he added.

In 2024, Kidman sat out the CMT Awards, despite the fact that her husband was performing. Urban debuted his new song "Straight Line," but his wife wasn't on-hand to cheer him on. During an interview on the red carpet (via Closer Weekly), Urban was asked if he'd ever do a collab with Kidman. "She's always making movies, I'm always making records. You've gotta find the time," was his response. Then, when asked his advice on a successful marriage, Urban gave a curious answer. "I have no advice for anybody," he said. Yikes!

In addition to skipping out on some of Keith Urban's work obligations, Nicole Kidman also didn't attend her father-in-law's funeral. In 2015, Robert "Bob" Urban died following a battle with cancer. The Daily Mail posted photos of Urban arriving at the funeral service for his dad in Queensland, Australia. The musician looked somber as he was accompanied by family and friends, but Kidman was nowhere to be found. A source told Closer Weekly that the "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" star couldn't get away from her job to attend. "She is committed to her work," a source told the outlet. "Keith loves that about her. He is very forgiving."

The country music singer shared a statement with Us Weekly thanking fans for their love and support. "I've been deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support that Nic and I, and our family, have received since my dad's passing on Saturday night. His long battle with cancer is now over and he is finally at peace," he said. Fast forward to 2024 and Kidman suffered a loss of her own. Her mom, Janelle, died in September. It's been a heartbreaking time for Kidman, who expressed such in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "It's a hard road. I'm hanging in there," she told the outlet at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lioness."

Keith Urban loves his family life, but he is greatly outnumbered. With a wife and two daughters, being "the man of the house" is quite literal for Urban. However, sometimes being surrounded by women takes its toll. In an interview with Marie Claire in 2020, Nicole Kidman revealed that she has often found her husband seeking isolation. "At times, he just needs to escape with his guitar. Sometimes I'll find him in his closet playing guitar. That's when I know we really need to give him space. Oh, and he googles cars. I'll know when he's stressed 'cause he's googling cars," she told the outlet.

In 2015, Urban talked about living in a house full of girls. "I didn't grow up with any girls in my family, it was just my brother and me and Mom and Dad," he told Us Weekly (via News24). Indeed it's been a change of pace for Urban, who admitted to "learning an enormous amount" being a girl-dad.

One strange thing about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's marriage is that they don't text each other. Despite texting becoming one of the most popular ways for people to communicate, the couple has a rule in place they both follow religiously. "We never text each other, can you believe that? We started out that way — I was like, 'If you want to get a hold of me, call me,”' Kidman said on a 2023 episode of the "Something to Talk About" podcast. Kidman talked a bit about what happened when her husband sent her a text and admitted she wasn't a fan.

In an interview with Parade in 2018, Kidman went a bit deeper in explaining why she and Urban don't text. She told the outlet that it started off that way because she didn't know "how" to text. From there, however, she felt it was best to have "voice to voice" communication because things are less likely to get misinterpreted. "We talk all the time and we FaceTime but we just don't text because I feel like texting can be misrepresentative at times. And I've had the thing where I reread texts and I'm like, 'What does that mean?' and then read it to somebody and go 'Can you interpret that?' I don't want that between my lover and I," she told the outlet. It seems that there may be more to this odd rule between the couple — and it could be a sign of trouble in paradise. 

While doing press for "The Perfect Couple" in 2024, Nicole Kidman faced an onslaught of questions about what makes a perfect relationship — which only makes sense, right? Plus, who better to give advice on what makes a "perfect couple" than someone whose in a long, successful marriage. 

While chatting with the Associated Press, Kidman insinuated that her marriage is anything but perfect. "I don't think anyone's the perfect anything," Kidman said. "I think you're heading for trouble if you consider yourself the perfect couple. ... No. I'm not a believer in perfect."

In an interview with E! News, Kidman was asked if there was such thing as a perfect couple — or even a couple who is perfect for each other. Kidman held her ground. "There's no perfect anything. ... Anything that's presented as perfect ... forget it," she responded. When the interviewer asked about Kidman's relationship with Urban appearing perfect to people on the outside, Kidman said, "I don't see any of that." Her response alone is a sign that her marriage to Urban is far from "perfect" in any sense of the word.

For some couples, meeting later in life is a good thing, but for others, it can be tough. Not only do people seem to be more set in their ways as they get older, but Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, in particular, already had plenty of life experiences that shaped them into who they were when they met. Aside from being stubborn or stuck on a specific ideology, there's also parts of people who may yearn for something more.

When it comes to Kidman and Urban specifically, the actor said she would have loved more kids with Urban. "I wish I could have met him much earlier and had way more children with him. But I didn't. I mean, if I could have had two more children with him, that would have been just glorious," Kidman told Vogue in 2015. She then mentioned what her husband would tell her if she said that in front of him. "'The wanting mind, Nicole. Shut it down,'" she said. Could Kidman's "wanting mind" be the reason that she and Urban don't work out? It seems anything is possible.