Nicole Kidman Confesses To What She Went Through Following Her Divorce From Tom Cruise

Jan 20, 2024

It's been 20 years since Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise divorced, and their lives have certainly changed a lot since then, but people are still intrigued by what really led the couple to separate in the first place. The pair first met in late 1989 prior to filming "Days of Thunder." Both Kidman and Cruise starred in the film together and even played love interests before taking their romance off-screen. They tied the knot on Dec. 24, 1990, and later welcomed two adopted children: Isabella, who was born in 1992, and Connor, who was born in 1995.

Kidman and Cruise's relationship was the talk of the town and easily garnered plenty of media attention. The two actors were together for more than a decade when they painfully announced that they were splitting up. It came as a shock to the world, and it left Kidman reeling with her heartbroken feelings.

Although the pair didn't last together, they both went on to marry other people. Kidman has been happily married to country singer Keith Urban since June 2006. Cruise's relationship history, unfortunately, has had a few more bumps in the road, as his marriage to Katie Holmes lasted from 2006 until 2012, leading to yet another public divorce.

Although it has been two decades since Kidman and Cruise were romantically linked, people can't help but wonder what really went down in their relationship. In January 2024, author Dave Karger released the book “50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins,” and it revealed Kidman’s heightened emotions at the time when she snagged her first Oscar in 2003 for “The Hours,” a rather pivotal moment for her career and her personal life. 

Born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kidman is an Australian actress and producer. She has starred in a number of films in various film genres, including the movie-musical "Moulin Rouge!" in 2001 and the psychological horror film "The Others" in 2001. Some of her more recent works include the 2020 musical comedy film "The Prom" and the 2021 miniseries "Nine Perfect Strangers," which she both starred in and produced.

Prior to meeting Kidman, Cruise was already a well-known actor. Born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, the actor first shot to fame in the 1980s. His claim to fame came from leading roles in the 1983 comedy "Risky Business" and the 1986 action drama film "Top Gun." Cruise began receiving critical acclaim by the end of the decade, and it seemed like he was on the right track to a long-lasting career, especially after landing the leading role in the "Mission Impossible" series. 

However, Cruise has been the face of a few scandals over the years, dealing with three public divorces with Mimi Rogers, Kidman and Holmes. He also showcased some unusual behavior in the news. Nonetheless, he has continued to find work as an actor, with the latest installments of the "Top Gun" and "Mission Impossible" series coming out in 2022.

After just over 10 years of marriage, Kidman and Cruise decided to call it quits. E! reported that the former couple's representative announced their "amicable separation" in February 2001, with Cruise filing the divorce papers just two days after the announcement. It was stated that "the difficulties in divergent careers which constantly kept them apart" was the cause behind their marriage ending.

During her marriage to Cruise, Kidman described it as "perfect," according to The West. However, that perfection didn't seem to last, as their marriage unraveled and resulted in divorce. 

Over the years, Kidman has opened up more about some of the issues within their relationship and also about just how devastating it was to go through such a public divorce and endure such a tough heartbreak. She said:

"It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system."

While ending the marriage was difficult, understanding that they would have to continue to be in each other's lives as co-parents was something that both Kidman and Cruise had to do. "From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies," Kidman told USA Today. "And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic." 

In 2001, Kidman opened up a bit more about her divorce. "I think that divorce is hard for anyone," she said. "It's a nightmare, it just is, and you can pretend you're fine. And days you're great (and) days you're not great."

Speaking with Harper's Bazaar in September 2021, the actress opened up about her failed marriage with Cruise and what it was like having her divorce so prevalent in the public eye. "I was young," Kidman said. "I think I offered it up? Maybe I've gotten a bit more trepidatious, but I'm always trying to be as open as possible. I just prefer to live in the world that way."

Kidman continued, "I'm wary at times, and I've been hurt, but at the same time I much prefer a warm approach rather than a prickly shutdown approach."

In a new book by Karger, Kidman opened up about the bittersweet moment she experienced after winning her first Academy Award in 2003 for “The Hours.” Kidman and Cruise settled their divorce in 2001, and the former was still suffering the brunt of the divorce when she attended and won at the 75th Academy Awards. 

“I was struggling with things in my personal life, yet my professional life was going so well,” she told the Karger in the book. “That’s what happens, right?” 

Kidman continued recalling the night of her win:

“I’m not a big party girl, so I was going to skip the Vanity Fair party, and everyone was like, ‘You’ve got to go. You’ve got to walk through the party carrying your Academy Award,’" she remembered. "I said, ‘That just feels like gloating, and it doesn’t feel humble.’ Like, what? You can’t walk through carrying the award! That feels really inappropriate. They’re like, ‘That’s what you do.’"

Kidman then decided to go to the party, but she did not feel it.

“I went home and ended up ordering takeout and eating it on the floor of the Beverly Hills Hotel. I sat on the floor of the hotel eating French fries and a burger with my family and went to bed. That’s when it hit me. I went, I need to find my love; I need a love in my life,” she continued to say. “Because this is supposed to be when you go, ‘This is ours.’ I went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight. If I ever won again, I’m telling you, I’d be out for 24 hours."

In 2006, Kidman married Urban, and she gave birth to two wonderful daughters – Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. 

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