Nicole Kidman has revealed the emotional toll of her split from Keith Urban, describing how the end of their nearly 20-year marriage left her grappling with fear, uncertainty and a profound sense of vulnerability.
Speaking to Vogue, the 59-year-old Academy Award-winning actress reflected on how difficult it has been to adjust to life after Urban, following her filing for divorce in Nashville in September 2025, which was finalised in January 2026.
Rather than viewing the transition as something she could effortlessly navigate because of her past public divorce from Tom Cruise, Kidman stressed that every separation carries its own unique emotional weight and distinct challenges.
Confronting a Future She Did Not Expect
Kidman explained that the hardest part was confronting the gap between the life she had expected and the reality she now faces. After years of building a family and career alongside Keith Urban, the actress said she has had to rethink what comes next instead of just relying on the future she once pictured.
'I'm like, 'OK, I didn't expect this. I had a different view of what my life was going to be, but this is what it is now.' You make all these plans and you have all these ideas of what it's all going to be like and then it's ... not. You have to adjust. You adapt. The future, it's completely unknown to me right now,' the actress told Vogue.
Kidman and Urban married in 2006 and have two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. She filed for divorce in Nashville in September 2025, citing marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was finalised in January 2026.
Choosing Hope Over Retreat in the Face of Vulnerability
Despite acknowledging how exposed she felt, Kidman said she did not want fear to dictate what would happen next to her. Her approach has been to accept the uncertainty and continue moving forward, even without knowing exactly where her personal life will lead.
'There was a point where I was very fearful and deeply vulnerable, which is exposing. And then at the same time [I'm] going: 'Well, I can either really not confront it and just curl up, or I can just go forward with an enormous amount of hope,' she added.
She also pointed to the influence of strong women in her life, including her late mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, and another woman who helped raise her from her teenage years. She explained that their advice taught her to accept that difficult experiences are sometimes unavoidable and that setbacks do not have to define a person.
'I had my mother and then I have another woman who sort of helped raise me since I was 16. Part of the way they approach life was sometimes [to say to me]: 'Nicole, you just got to take it on the chin.' Once you accept that, instead of going, 'Well that's not fair or it's unjust,' you go, 'Well, yes, actually it isn't fair. Because things are not fair,' Kidman shared.
Family Remains Her Anchor
Through the sweeping personal changes, Kidman has maintained that her children remain the absolute centre of her focus.
Kidman and Urban share daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, with court-approved parenting plans established to ensure a stable co-parenting dynamic moving forward. The former couple had spent almost 20 years together and had built much of their family life around Nashville.
As she embraces what comes next, the acclaimed actress remains committed to moving toward what is good, keeping her heart open, and protecting the core of her family.
