Nicole Kidman, the AMC Theaters brand ambassador, recently opened up about the strength she has gained through life’s challenges, including her divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage. In an interview published on October 9, 2025, the 58-year-old actress discussed how aging has empowered her to handle difficult experiences with greater confidence.
Reflecting on this period, Kidman explained that accumulated life experiences provide a valuable guide during tough times. She said,
“The best part is the experiences that you’ve accumulated,”
Nicole told Harper’s Bazaar in an interview published Oct. 9.
“You go, ‘Oh, I’ve been here before. I actually know how to handle this now.’ Or, ‘Maybe I haven’t been in this place, but I’ve experienced something similar to this, and I do know that I will get through it.’”
The actress from Practical Magic emphasized that even amid pain, there is always a path forward, stating,
“There’s something to knowing that no matter how painful, or how difficult, or how devastating something is, there is a way through.”
While acknowledging pain as an inevitable part of growth, she addressed the importance of feeling emotions fully rather than numbing them.
“You’re going to have to feel it,”
she said.
“You’re not going to be able to numb it. You are going to have to feel it, and it’s going to feel insurmountable at times. You’re going to feel like you’re broken, but if you move gently and slowly—and it can take an enormous amount of time—it does pass.”
Kidman finds strength largely through her dedication to her children. She is a mother to daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14, with Keith Urban, as well as Bella, 32, and Connor, 30, from her previous marriage to Tom Cruise. She shared,
“My children [give me the] purpose of being their protector and their guide,”
explaining,
“promising them that I’m here and that, no matter what, there’s always a safe place to grow up in.”
Timeline of the Separation and Divorce Process
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s marriage began to unravel in early summer 2025 when the couple started living apart privately. Despite their long-standing union, various events marked the months leading up to their official divorce filing on September 30, 2025. Both stars, acquainted with public attention, navigated this period amid ongoing personal adjustments.
Keith Urban’s Summer Tour and Public Appearances
Keith Urban launched his High and Alive World Tour on May 22, 2025, starting in Alabama and spanning the U.S., Canada, and Australia throughout the summer. During this time, the couple maintained minimal public appearances together. Their last known outing was on June 20, 2025, at the FIFA Club World Cup in Nashville, where they were seen laughing and smiling, offering a brief glimpse of unity.
Commemorating 19 Years and Signs of Strain
On June 25, 2025, Kidman acknowledged their 19th wedding anniversary with a heartfelt photo captioned, Happy Anniversary Baby. While Urban responded with a heart emoji, he did not share a post of his own, hinting at underlying tensions. Just days later, on July 1, Urban abruptly ended an interview after being questioned about Kidman’s on-screen chemistry with Zac Efron in the show A Family Affair. A radio host had asked,
“The first thing I thought of with your beautiful wife, Nicole Kidman, being on so many great movies, TV shows all the time,”
continuing,
“What does Keith Urban think when he sees his beautiful wife with beautiful younger men like Zac Efron having these beautiful love scenes on TV and radio?”
Urban then disconnected from the call, with a radio staffer remarking,
“I think his team hung up on us because they didn’t want us to ask that question.”
Residential Changes and Applications for European Residency
In late July 2025, news surfaced that Nicole Kidman had applied for residency in Portugal, with Urban planning to apply as well following the requirements to appear in person for the visa process. A source explained,
“Keith was unable to be in Portugal for this appointment as he is currently on tour in the U.S.,”
adding,
“It is mandatory for applicants to be physically present in order to apply for the visa. He is scheduled to submit his application at a later date that works with his tour schedule.”
Despite these plans, the couple intended to maintain a permanent home in Nashville.
Insights Into Parent-Child Relationships Amid Divorce
Their eldest daughter, Sunday Rose, provided a behind-the-scenes look at family life in August 2025, revealing strict parenting rules set by her parents. She told Nylon,
“The first was that I couldn’t explore any kind of fashion work until I was 16,”
and
“the second is that school always has to come first, which at first I hated, but I am actually really glad that I have these rules in place because it keeps me in a good mindset.”
Despite these rules and family changes, Kidman’s Instagram posts reflected moments with her daughters, albeit without Urban’s presence in the photos. On August 19, she shared an Instagram carousel featuring summer memories with Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, captioning it Summer memories. Now back to school.
Legal Agreements Define Custody and Divorce Terms
In late August, Kidman’s legal team drafted a detailed parenting plan outlining joint custody of Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, with Kidman as the primary residential parent. Under the plan, the daughters would reside with their mother for 306 days annually and spend 59 days with Keith Urban, including alternate weekends. The document specified no child support payments would be exchanged.
The agreement emphasized mutual respect and a positive environment for the children, stating,
“The mother and father will behave with each other and each child so as to provide a loving, stable, consistent and nurturing relationship with the child even though they are divorced,”
and also,
“They will not speak badly of each other or the members of the family of the other parent. They will encourage each child to continue to love the other parent and be comfortable in both families.”
Urban notarized the Marital Dissolution Agreement and parenting plan on August 29, 2025, acknowledging the separation was due to irreconcilable differences and agreeing that neither party would seek spousal support. Kidman completed the notarization and signed the paperwork on September 6, 2025, the same day a judge ordered both to attend a mandatory parenting seminar unless they qualified for an exemption.
Public Awareness and Transition to Divorce
Despite signing divorce documents, Kidman was seen wearing her wedding ring at an event in Los Angeles on September 25, 2025, highlighting the complexity of moving forward. The public learned of the couple’s split on September 29, 2025, when it was confirmed that Kidman and Urban, who began dating in 2005, had ended their marriage privately.
The following day, Kidman officially filed for divorce, listing September 30 as the date of separation. The court received both the Marital Dissolution Agreement and the parenting plan that day for approval in Tennessee, formally marking the end of their union.
The Significance of Nicole Kidman’s Journey Through Divorce
Nicole Kidman’s reflections on resilience reveal how her experiences, including coping with separation, have shaped a new sense of strength. Her emphasis on feeling pain fully while remaining hopeful about the future models emotional growth through adversity. The public legal and personal journey of Kidman and Urban underscores the challenges celebrity couples face when navigating private matters in the public eye.
Moving forward, Kidman’s role as a protector and guide to her daughters remains central, underscoring the importance of stability and nurture during family transitions. The carefully structured parenting plan suggests a commitment from both parties to maintain amicable co-parenting despite their personal differences. This approach offers a hopeful example of prioritizing children’s wellbeing amidst significant life changes.
