10 Rumors About Keith Urban We Couldn't Ignore

Since his rise to stardom, Keith Urban has been a unique figure in the music industry. As an Australian singer who grew fond of American country, Urban exploded onto the music scene as a solo artist in the late '90s. From the early 2000s onward, Urban underwent a stunning transformation, becoming one of the more successful country artists the genre has seen. Despite his multiple Grammy nominations and successful album releases — from "Golden Road" to "Ripcord" — Urban has been subject to various public perceptions about his life outside of music.

This isn't new to any musician, as artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are on the receiving end of numerous rumors. Like his fellow singers, Urban's relationship with these rumors span innumerable years, and while Urban has maintained a successful career through it all, it didn't make the general public less likely to spread misinformation. Aside from the more humorous ones he's had to debunk over time, other rumors purposefully dug into aspects of his personal life. Although it's easy to decipher which gossip to pay attention to, the few that saw the light of day were oftentimes hard to ignore. Whether it be theories about his early foray into music or his battles with addiction, these are the 10 rumors about Keith Urban we couldn't ignore!

In 2005, Keith Urban met his soon-to-be wife, Nicole Kidman, at the G'Day USA gala in Los Angeles, California. The two clearly hit it off, as they'd tie the knot just a year later. Since then, their relationship has spawned numerous rumors. This was partly due to the number of odd things fans noticed about Urban and Kidman's marriage from the very beginning. the first of which came pretty early. In 2006, just six months after marrying Kidman, infidelity allegations began to arise. 

In an article published by the Daily Telegraph, a 23-year-old model named Amanda Wyatt claimed she and the "Somebody Like You" singer had an affair and that Urban was unfaithful to Kidman throughout his engagement to her. The two allegedly first met in 2004 at a bar called the Tin Roof, where she simply introduced herself as a fan. Their relationship turned serious, as Wyatt not only moved into Urban's Brentwood home but also met his parents. Wyatt also alleged that there was heavy drug use during their relationship, which Urban heavily struggled with during the earlier parts of his career. Their relationship ultimately ended just a few weeks before his wedding to Kidman in 2006. "I feel sorry for Nicole. Keith cheated on her repeatedly with me, right up to just before they got married," Wyatt said. "He's done it once, and he'll probably do it again." 

From the early '90s and onward, drugs and alcohol played a huge part in Keith Urban's life. But Urban's battle with addiction ultimately took a turn for the worse, and his first stint in rehab saw him experience just how bad his excessive substance use had become. Urban did eventually get himself clean, only to then relapse in 2006, shortly after tying the knot with Nicole Kidman. This prompted Kidman to hold an intervention for him to get clean for good, and in that same year, Urban checked into rehab for a second time.

Alongside the news, Urban also released a heartfelt statement acknowledging his throes of addiction and how, this time, it affected his marriage. "I deeply regret the hurt this has caused Nicole and the ones that love and support me," he said (via Today). "One can never let one's guard down on recovery, and I'm afraid that I have." Things only got worse as claims of an affair became public knowledge, causing fans to wonder whether his marriage would survive the ordeal. Despite the various theories about his road to recovery, Urban tackled them head-on and found a way to not only keep his marriage afloat but also beat his addiction. This didn't come without a price, however, as Urban admitted that his actions almost destroyed his marriage to Kidman. "I caused the implosion of my fresh marriage," he said in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone. "It survived, but it's a miracle it did."

Since finding stardom as a country singer, Keith Urban's rockstar-like aesthetic has garnered him public attention, so much so that he earned the title of Country's sexiest man by Country Weekly in 2006, beating out the likes of Tim McGraw and Toby Keith. In addition to Urban's bold tribal tattoos becoming synonymous with his physical appearance, so did his straight hair, which was a staple for him throughout his entire career. This, however, culminated in a tirade of fans alleging that Urban intentionally flat-irons his hair. An example of this occurred in 2022, when fans took to social media to berate this hairstyle following his appearance at the Oscars. "When do we think Keith Urban will stop straightening his hair?" one X user wrote (via the Daily Mail).

The public's opinion about his hair was one thing, but the rumors became another. While showcasing more of his iconic looks with MuchMusic in April 2025, Urban took the time to address the long-winded rumor and clarified that he does not straighten his hair, despite what some publications may say. "Over the years, I've always been accused of flat-ironing my hair. I've never flat-ironed my freaking hair. That's what it looks like when I wake up," he said while pointing to a photo of himself. "And I'm not saying that like I'm lucky. It pisses me off because ... it's flat as s***. Like it's dead flat."

After Keith Urban married Nicole Kidman in 2006, the two quickly started a family of their own. Although Kidman had two children from her previous marriage to Tom Cruise, Kidman went on to have two daughters with Urban — Sunday Rose in 2008 and Faith Margaret in 2010. Urban's enthusiasm about fatherhood was certainly felt, but his depiction of his household may not have done much to quell the public noise surrounding his controversial marriage to Kidman. During a 2014 appearance on "Live! with Kelly & Michael," Urban suggested that a home life surrounded by women can get overwhelming (via Just Jared). "They're very animated, both of them," said Urban, referring to his two daughters. "Our house is very animated anyway. It's an artists' house, so yelling and singing and dancing and music and whatever. Everything is very dramatic," he quipped. "I'm in a house full of girls. It's all dramatic. It's all drama."

Despite his positive tone, he accidentally revealed a hint of discomfort in his family life. His prior implications were only reinforced in 2020, when Kidman told Marie Claire Australia that Urban likes to distance himself from his family whenever he feels overwhelmed. "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," she said. "Oh, and he googles cars. I'll know when he's stressed 'cause he's googling cars."

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were presumably doomed to have complications in their marriage from the start. With rumors of infidelity previously floating around, the health of their relationship was always in the public eye. The onslaught of discouraging rumors after marrying each other only continued in 2018 when divorce rumors became public knowledge. Insider reports indicated that the two were facing hardships in their marriage. "Keith has moved out of the family home he shares with Nicole after a string of arguments," a source told Life & Style magazine. "He's been staying at a five-star hotel in LA." Deeming there to be evidence of marital troubles as early as 2017, the publication suggested that their relationship then took a drastic turn. 

As for why the two were having complications, the insider claimed it was due to his relationship with musician John Mayer, who Kidman thought was a negative influence on Urban's life due to his own journey with sobriety. Despite the serious allegations, there's no substantial truth to these claims. The only thing we were left with was a follow-up article by Life & Style that seemingly retracted those divorce rumors. According to the publication, a close source stated that the two chose to work things out. "Nicole and Keith sometimes lead separate lives, with him being on the road and her on set," they said. "But they're determined to make their marriage work. Despite going through ups and downs, they're the best of friends and love each other very much."

Given the professions of both Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, the two have found themselves leading rather unconventional lives. After Kidman brushed off the idea of ever working with her musical husband creatively, Urban was subject to more rumors regarding his dynamic with his wife. Only this time, rumors indicated some signs of concern for Kidman's work as an actor, claiming that Urban was jealous of Kidman reuniting with her former "Moulin Rouge!" co-star, Ewan McGregor, at the Critics' Choice Awards in February, 2025. According to Sky News, a potential "Moulin Rouge" sequel left Urban uncomfortable, as he doesn't want Kidman to work with McGregor. "Keith has always been hesitant about Nicole working with Ewan again, but now he's in a real tug-of-war," an insider noted, referring to rumors that her chemistry with McGregor was a factor in her divorce from Tom Cruise. 

That said, Kidman has worked steadily over the years and is routinely busy with acting gigs. In 2025, she has found herself juggling several projects with very few breaks in between, which has only fueled the rumors. Insiders also claim that Urban wants Kidman to take a break from filming for the sake of her health and family, noting that Kidman lost her mother in September 2024 and hasn't had much time to grieve. "Keith isn't angry, but he's worried and understandably very frustrated," an insider told New Idea. "He knows how much Nic loves her job, but she keeps moving the goalposts. Instead of putting herself first — something he and the kids need her to do — she's putting work first every time."

In September 2024, Nicole Kidman lost her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, at the end of what Daily Mail suggested was her and Keith Urban's "worst year." With Urban allegedly having concerns about Kidman's working schedule, their marriage was seemingly in dire need of a change in scenery. Both Urban and Kidman were thinking of relocating back to Australia following the unfortunate incidents that took place, or so we thought.

Shortly after these rumors surfaced, Urban appeared on a December 2024 episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Although his album, "High," and overall music career were the main focus of his visit, the two discussed vacation spots for the holidays. In doing so, Urban spoke about traveling to Australia for the holidays and how it differed from America at that time of year. This ultimately prompted Kelly Clarkson to ask the Australian-born singer if the news about him and Kidman moving to Australia was true, which he debunked. "I read that too. It's complete BS ... Someone sent me that, and I'm like, 'What?' Then, we were shocked," he responded. "So yeah, if someone says to you we're moving, we're not moving. That's crazy."

With a decades-long career like Keith Urban's, change is inevitable. For most, this may entail releasing an album in a completely different genre, altering your appearance, or, in Urban's case, changing your bandmates. This came to a head in January when Urban — before his High and Alive World Tour —  decided to let Terence F. Clark, Nathan Barlowe, and Jerry Flowers go after years of touring together. According to Urban, this was purely a creative decision. "I've always followed the inner voice that says it's time to make a change in any area of my life and sort of just take the leap," he said in an interview with Country Now.

The alleged leap of faith saw fans online wonder why this happened right before his tour. Luckily, his general audience seemed to understand that it was nothing more than a creative choice and not some sort of midlife crisis. His band members also took to their social media platforms to express gratitude for working with Urban rather than stirring up drama. This, however, didn't mean that this change went over well with all fans. While one Reddit user angrily deemed this the "dumbest move ever," other fans were simply disappointed. After the news spread, fans flocked to Flower's sentimental Instagram post dedicated to his time in the band to share some kind words and express their discontent with Flower's sudden dismissal. One user even went as far as to claim the bass player was "the heart and soul of the band." Creative shake-up or otherwise, dropping your longtime band members at such a late stage in one's career isn't a good look.

Before marrying Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman was in a high-profile marriage with Tom Cruise. During this time, the two became the parents of Connor and Isabella (Bella) Cruise. At first, Kidman shared a close relationship with both of her kids. However, their connection was fractured once she divorced Tom in 2001. Since she grew distant from Connor and Isabella, Keith's relationship with them was essentially non-existent. This was also the case for his daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. Keith, however, appears to be making an effort to change this. 

Over the years, Isabella has reconnected with her mother's side of the family and is trying to rebuild a relationship with her half-sister, Sunday. Isabella has liked multiple of Sunday's Instagram posts to support the teen's venture into modeling. An insider also noted that Keith wanted to bring the two together to mend the relationship between the two families. "It's nothing short of heaven for Nicole to see Bella and Sunday connect like this. She accepts Connor's devotion to Scientology will keep him from her, but she's never given up on her beautiful baby Bella. And Keith's making it his mission to bridge that gap," they told Woman's Day. "He's planning a big get-together, ideally in Australia, where Sunday and Faith can really bond with Bella. He knows it will give Nic that sense of wholeness she's craved ever since he's known her." Urban's alleged interest in mending the family following the death of Kidman's mother would make his efforts to include Bella in the family especially heart-warming.

If you were to rely on Wikipedia, you'd believe that one of Keith Urban's earlier gigs was as a session player for the country duo Brooks & Dunn, which, given his native Australian roots, would've been an incredible start to his career. However, Urban's rise to stardom wasn't as nuanced as the rumors made it out to be. These false narratives may have been easy to follow since Urban flew under the radar until the late '90s to early 2000s. It wasn't only fans who believed this story, either, as several publications assumed this to be true for most of Urban's career. Luckily, in 2019, Urban finally put these rumors to rest.

During his interview with Taste of Country, editor Billy Dukes noted that he had read about the singer's first music gig in America. Dukes assumed Urban's history with Brooks & Dunn was fact and was gearing up to jump into some questions. Knowing what Dukes was about to refer to, Urban quickly interrupted and promptly responded, "Not true ... It's Wikipedia falsehood." He'd then explain his actual history with the duo: "We toured with them, that was it. We were their opening band on a tour early on."