9 Rumors We Couldn't Ignore About Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman's life and career have long fascinated the public and media alike. But her very public existence has meant that every move she makes has been an invitation for public scrutiny and discussion. From her early days in Hollywood to her current status as an award-winning star, tabloids and fans have chronicled Kidman's milestones keenly and, in doing so, often blurred the lines between fact and fiction. Whether it's about her marriages, motherhood, or career choices, rumors have been an unavoidable part of her celebrity. And Kidman has navigated them all with exceptional finesse so far. 

The award-winning star has mastered the art of managing the narrative — often by maintaining a dignified silence, sometimes by confronting falsehoods head-on with legal action when they got out of hand, and other times, brushing them off with her trademark Australian lightheartedness. While she is by and large a private star, years of unfair media hounding have not turned Kidman off the idea of sharing bits of herself with the world. "I was young. I think I offered it up?" she told Harper's Bazaar when asked about the perpetual media speculation around her first marriage to Tom Cruise. "Maybe I've gotten a bit more trepidatious, but I'm always trying to be as open as possible." 

Here are nine rumors we couldn't ignore about Nicole Kidman and how she responded to them. 

In Hollywood, affair rumors are practically a rite of passage — and Nicole Kidman is all too familiar with this trend. The "Babygirl" star has found herself at the center of salacious gossip about pursuing a co-star more than once during her showbiz career. One of the most memorable ones — which sent tabloids and gossip-hungry audiences into a frenzy — was Kidman's alleged entanglement with Jude Law during the filming of "Cold Mountain" in the early 2000s. 

British papers like the Daily Mail and The Sun published reports that pointed to a romantic liaison between the two stars — one of whom was married at the time. "The article implied that the claimant had led Jude Law to cheat on his wife Sadie Frost, and by her behaviour caused the breakdown of their marriage," Kidman's lawyer argued when she successfully sued the papers for libel (via The Guardian). Law, who was going through marital troubles at the time, also publicly denied the affair rumors and shut down talk that Kidman had any involvement in the breakdown of his marriage. 

This scandal came on the heels of a string of romantic rumors Kidman had already been trying to navigate — from her apparently hostile split from ex-husband Tom Cruise, which was rife with speculation about a third party's involvement, to persistent gossip about her relationship with her "Moulin Rouge!" co-star Ewan McGregor. 

Nicole Kidman's very public split from Tom Cruise in 2001 was a high-profile moment that fueled endless speculation and shaped the aughts narrative of her celebrity life in a big way. For years, the couple had been Hollywood's golden pair — making audiences swoon across red carpets and sharing screen time in films like "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Far and Away" amid their public declarations of love. So when Cruise abruptly filed for divorce just weeks after their 10th wedding anniversary — when the pair had just renewed their wedding vows — rumor mills went into overdrive. Speculation ran wild — with some blaming Scientology, others pointing to the weight of their acting careers, and others still suspecting a third party.

If reports were to be believed, Kidman was just as blindsided by the divorce as the next person, and according to the BBC, court papers showed that the romantic chaos coincided with a miscarriage she had. There had been talk of separation between the couple in the days leading up to the divorce but the final act reportedly came as a shocker for Kidman, who apparently begged Cruise to stay. Though the couple's official statement on the matter cited "an amicable separation," theories in the press hinted that it was anything but. Cruise's cryptic explanation to Vanity Fair a year later — "She knows why, and I know why" — didn't do much to douse the fire.

live every day like you're 2001 nicole kidman leaving her lawyer's office after divorcing tom cruise pic.twitter.com/L2knENS4d4

— mik (@wholemik) November 8, 2018

In the world of celebrity optics, a single picture can spark a thousand headlines. Few know that better than Nicole Kidman, whose now-iconic photo — arms flung open in euphoria, apparently taken after she left her lawyer's office following her divorce from Tom Cruise in 2001 — has been meme fodder for years on social media. Though the A-lister marriage ended over two decades ago, the story has never quite left the public imagination — even if much of it still remains guesswork. Fueled by that speculation, the image went viral and became synonymous with post-breakup freedom. 

Given the meme's endurance, it was impossible that the legend of the photo escaped Kidman — who was, no doubt, aware of it and finally laid the rumors to rest in a 2024 interview with British GQ. "That was not me; that was from a film, that wasn't real life. I know that image!" Notwithstanding the clarification, it's easy to see why the meme struck a chord with audiences and invited years of theorizing. The public narrative around Cruise and Kidman's split was always charged, and given the lack of confirmed details about why it happened, the fascination with it remained intense. But contrary to gossip, any lingering drama seems to have cooled with time. Cruise even called his ex "a great actress" and offered a rare reflection of their time together in a 2025 Sight and Sound interview. 

Since her divorce from Tom Cruise, there has been plenty of chatter about Nicole Kidman's strained relationship with her two oldest children, Bella and Connor Cruise. The pair — whom she adopted with the "Mission Impossible" star during their 10-year marriage — have remained largely out of the spotlight and reportedly closer to their father and his Church of Scientology since the couple's split. And that distance hasn't gone unnoticed by audiences that hold a keen interest in the family's lives. The two children — in their 30s at the time of this writing — have had little participation in their mother's personal and professional milestones, fueling years of speculation about a possible estrangement.

But their absence from her life has barely hardened Kidman, who also shares daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret with Keith Urban. In a rare comment about her older children, she told Who magazine in 2018: "They are adults. ... They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them." While reiterating her choice to remain private about the matter, Kidman made an emotional disclosure of going to any lengths for the sake of her children. In the years since, the media has continued to mull over a potential reconciliation, and some reports have suggested that the Oscar winner is determined to repair her relationships with Bella and Connor, especially after the death of her mother in 2024.

Nicole Kidman's motherhood journey has often run parallel to persistent and often unwarranted pregnancy rumors that she has had to brush off. So rabid has the speculation around her personal affairs been that when the Hollywood star was actually pregnant with her third child in 2008, even her publicist was thrown off. "For years I've seen speculation and for years it's never been right, so I didn't think it was right this time," the rep told the press (via "Today"). "And then she's just rung this morning." 

Even during her pregnancy, the press continued to buzz with scrutiny, with some outlets even falsely claiming that Kidman had followed in the footsteps of other Hollywood stars and posed nude to show off her baby bump. She dismissed the rumor to the Daily Mail with a laugh, saying that it was "total nonsense" (via The Standard). "I'm just looking forward to having and caring for our baby." 

In Hollywood, an actress who gains even the slightest bit of weight or chooses to wear loose, flowing clothes is enough to get rumor mills buzzing with pregnancy speculation. So much so that just months after her first childbirth, Kidman was faced with questions of another pregnancy — a stir Kidman navigated with a graceful sense of humor. "No, I just have a little tummy. My god, I just had a baby four months ago — give me a break!" she said at the 2008 premiere of her film "Australia" (via People).  

Nicole Kidman's gorgeous style transformation over decades has always turned heads — but also raised eyebrows. The "Big Little Lies" star — who is in her late 50s at the time of this writing — continues to flaunt a stunning appearance that many say is not too far removed from her younger years, making her the target of persistent rumors about cosmetic surgery. For years now, tabloids and online forums have dissected her evolving looks in search of answers to her evergreen beauty. 

While Kidman hasn't engaged with such speculation in recent times, a 2011 interview with a German magazine is often cited as her testimony on the matter. "I've tried a lot of things, but aside from sports and good nutrition, most things don't make a difference," she said, admitting to the use of Botox but disliking its effects on her face (via People). "Now I don't use it anymore — I can move my forehead again!" 

Still, the scrutiny around Kidman's appearance has been relentless — and often harsh. Tabloid chatter has suggested everything from rhinoplasty to facelifts, fillers, and chin implants. Even her efforts to remain militantly fit have been met with criticism from audiences that feel her abs and muscles project an unrealistic standard of aging. Notwithstanding the noise around her physique, Kidman embraces her fitness journey. As she told the Los Angeles Times in 2014, "Ultimately your health, both physical and emotional, is the basis for everything." 

Celebrity feuds are a common occurrence in show business — and Nicole Kidman has been attributed with her fair share of rumored rifts. One of the most talked-about in recent memory involved Salma Hayek, with whom Kidman shared an allegedly tense interaction at the Paris Fashion Week in 2024. In videos from the Balenciaga show that went viral online, Kidman appeared to remove Hayek's arm as the "Desperado" star attempted to turn her toward the paparazzi facing them. As Hayek looked on, a bit disoriented, Kidman proceeded to hug Katy Perry who was standing nearby before saying a few words to Hayek and exiting the frame. 

The largely inaudible exchange naturally caught the attention of gossip-hungry audiences and sparked rumors of a supposed feud between the two stars. Outlets like The U.S. Sun even went so far as to claim that Kidman snapped at Hayek: "Don't touch me." As theories of their fallout took over social media, an unnamed source came forward with a clarification to People, saying that the whole thing was "a story out of nothing" and that there was no bad blood between the actors. "They were being bombarded by cameras at the end of the show while in the middle of a conversation." While Kidman and Hayek refrained from directly addressing the supposed controversy, they gracefully pushed back on it at the 2025 Golden Globes by greeting each other with a warm embrace. 

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are one of Hollywood's most loved-up power couples, but as with every celebrity relationship, their personal world hasn't been immune to tabloid scrutiny. Just months after their 2006 wedding, allegations of Urban's infidelity did the rounds in the media, after model Amanda Wyatt claimed that she had been involved with the singer throughout his courtship with Kidman. "Keith cheated on her repeatedly with me, right up to just before they got married," Wyatt said, per The Daily Telegraph. "He's done it once, and he'll probably do it again." Despite odd details about Kidman and Urban's marriage surfacing, the couple maintained a stoic front. "The two of us are very committed to our relationship," Kidman told Vanity Fair, touching upon her "enormous feelings for this man." 

Yet, over the years, talk of marital strife has continued to doggedly pursue the star couple — hinging on Urban's alleged flirtatious touring with singer Kelsea Ballerini and reports of his rekindled connections with former flame Joni Wilson. If rumor mills are to be believed, Kidman and Urban have even been on the brink of divorce. But it seems they keep their distance from such gossip. "Most of that stuff we don't even hear about," Urban once told "Today" (via Honey). "We get on with living our life, and then people make up the most insane crap, and you just kind of roll with it." 

It may seem like showbiz is all glitz and glamour on the surface, but behind the scenes, the game can get dirty. Nicole Kidman saw it up close in the 2000s when she emerged as the fresh new celebrity face of Chanel for the luxury brand's signature No. 5 perfume. She starred in an unforgettable promo short directed by Baz Luhrmann for the fashion house in 2004, irretrievably tying her legacy to the iconic scent. At the time, it was touted as the most expensive advertising bid Chanel had ever made. But in 2007, Kidman's loyalty to the brand was called into question when The Daily Telegraph claimed she had been praising and even publicly applying a fragrance by Jo Malone during promotions for her film "The Golden Compass" in London. 

Kidman did not take the rumors lying down and initiated legal action against the British newspaper. Her lawyer argued that claims of Kidman advertising a rival brand were false and that the star's conduct had hardly been "unprofessional and disloyal" as the press suggested. Acceding to the guilt, The Telegraph admitted that the story was concocted and apologized to Kidman. "It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published," a lawyer for the paper told the court (via Reuters). The damages she was paid were set to be donated to the United Nations Development Fund for Women.