Red Flags In Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban's Relationship That Predicted Their Separation

News that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have officially separated sparked tragic reactions from fans. This pair had been together for two decades, making them seem — to many — like an unshakable Hollywood power couple. In reality, though, there were signs all along that Urban and Kidman's relationship wouldn't last. 

While plenty of fans may have been surprised to hear that Kidman and Urban are going their separate ways, from the sound of it, folks close to the former couple were not quite as shocked. "Their lives were moving in different directions, and once he quietly set up his own place, it felt like the writing was on the wall," a source shared with People. They noted, "It really hasn't been a secret in their circles that Keith and Nicole have been living separately for a while now," adding, "People close to Keith felt like the split was kind of inevitable." Interestingly, though, while it sounds like the breakup was a long time coming, the source told the outlet that the pair wasn't exactly on the same page about it. "She didn't want this," they said of Kidman, adding, "She has been fighting to save the marriage." Looking back on their romance, it seems that their split is far from the first time the two stars didn't see eye to eye. And, there were more than a few indications that a breakup was coming.

Nicole Kidman met Keith Urban in Los Angeles in January 2005 at the G'Day USA gala. Over a decade later, she opened up to "Ellen" host Ellen DeGeneres about the slow start their relationship really had. "I had such a crush on him and he wasn't interested in me. It's true," she explained, per People. She added, "He didn't call me for four months." It seems that Kidman and Urban were not on the same page about getting together. Urban took his time asking Kidman out, but she was ready to tie the knot just a month after they started dating. In 2014, she told Elle, "I'm spontaneous. I jump in," per Huffpost. 

The couple was married a year later. Yet, mere months after they tied the knot, Kidman staged an intervention for Urban due to his alcohol addiction. A few months after that, he checked into rehab. In 2024, Urban elaborated on this while taking the stage at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Nicole Kidman, "Barely four months into our marriage, the addictions that I had done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens," he recalled, per news.com.au. At the time of their split, Urban had been sober for nearly 19 years. It is clear, however, that the couple's relationship started with its fair share of trials and tribulations.

Back in 2015, Keith Urban held a Q&A at Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. While chatting with fans, Urban opened up a bit about his marriage, and what he said may have raised a few eyebrows. "Someone said one time, 'If your marriage isn't your priority, you're not married,' and I thought, for me that's so true," Urban explained, per People. "So as long as I keep her as a priority, everything else sort of seems to work," he added, noting, "And when I don't keep it as a priority, it's ... Jenga."

Making sure that you view your spouse as important does matter — especially if you are as busy as Urban and Nicole Kidman are. Still, the way he spoke about this need to prioritize Kidman indicated a bit of instability in the relationship. Focusing on your partner is a good thing, but thinking that failing to do so could cause everything to collapse like a game of Jenga isn't exactly ideal and may have hinted at volatility in their marriage. 

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have two daughters together. In a 2020 interview with Marie Claire, Kidman explained, "We're definitely female-heavy! But as the girls say, 'The dog's a boy!'" From the sound of it, though, Urban may wish that he and the family's dog Julian weren't the only men of the house. And, this may have even been a source of stress for the musician.

According to Kidman, "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." There is certainly nothing unusual about needing some alone time. Heading to the closet to hide from your family, on the other hand, may indicate that there is a deeper problem at play. 

Clearly there were some odd things about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's marriage, but these red flags may not have been the only indication that the relationship wasn't built to last forever. Kidman has been a hardworking movie star since long before she and Urban got together. Recently, though, she has seemingly been doing more projects than ever. In 2024, she tackled "Expats" and "The Perfect Couple," as well as "A Family Affair," "Spellbound," "Babygirl," and "Lioness." And, in 2025, she has already starred in "Holland" and season 2 of "Nine Perfect Strangers."

To fans, it likely seemed like Kidman was just enjoying her active career. In hindsight, though, it is possible that the star was deliberately keeping busy to distract herself from the troubles at home. An insider told People that Urban has been away from the family, while Kidman has been staying close to their children. "While Keith has been away on tour all summer, Nicole and her daughters have been inseparable, spending time together bonding," they explained.