While Nicole Kidman appeared to settle her divorce from Keith Urban quickly and without much fuss, a less amicable situation reportedly unfolded behind the scenes, in part due to the painful aftermath of her 2001 divorce from first husband Tom Cruise.
A “sticking point” in Kidman’s divorce negotiations with Urban was custody of their daughters, Sunday, 17, and Faith, 15, the Daily Mail reported. “Keith was initially asking for equal time with their daughters,” an insider told the UK tabloid.
That demand sent Kidman “into a spiral,” the insider said. “After almost 20 years of marriage, she certainly knows how stubborn Keith can be. She was anxious and distressed that he wasn’t going to budge.”
Kidman, 58, felt the girls should be with her more and was wary about any arrangement that would have them splitting time between her and her country star ex-husband, those close to the separation talks told the Daily Mail. Fortunately for Kidman, she got her way, according to the settlement agreement announced this week. She will have the girls 306 days a year, while Urban, 58, will get them every other weekend, totaling 59 days. Both Kidman and Urban remain based in Nashville, with Kidman living in the seven-bedroom mansion that they bought together in 2008, while Urban has moved into a residence nearby.
The Oscar winner wasn’t motivated by spite to demand more time with the girls but because she was afraid “of history repeating itself,” the Daily Mail reported.
This is a reference to Kidman’s divorce from Cruise. In 2001, the “Top Gun” actor abruptly filed for divorce after nearly 10 years of marriage. Kidman and Cruise also had adopted two children together, Isabella and Connor Cruise, now 32 and 30 respectively.
In the divorce, Kidman and Cruise settled on joint custody, the Daily Mail. But in the end, Isabella and Connor decided they wanted to live with Cruise, and there have been multiple reports over the years that they became estranged from Kidman, largely due to the influence of the Church of Scientology. Cruise is known to be a leading member of the cult-like organization. While Kidman studied to join Scientology early in the marriage, she ultimately left the organization.
Not only were Isabella and Conner raised as Scientologists, there have been reports and statements from former members that the organization actively worked to turn the children against their mother.
“The Cruise kids had no choice,” former member Sam Domingo said in a 2019 interview with Daily Mail TV. “After the divorce, they were indoctrinated into Scientology and very much isolated.” The Daily Beast also has reported that Kidman was branded as — in Scientology parlance — a “suppressive person,” or an “SP.”
In a 2018 interview, Kidman acknowledged that her children’s Scientology faith had created a distance between them. “They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it’s my job to love them.”
Kidman still “craves reconciliation” with Isabella and Conner, according to the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, when it comes to her daughters with Urban, Kidman also was motivated by “logistics” to make sure she had them the bulk of the time. Among other things, Urban’s music often takes him away from home.
“Keith has a bunch of tour dates coming up, and his schedule is a little less flexible than Nicole’s,” a second source told the Daily Mail. Kidman, on the other hand, “enjoys being a homebody when she isn’t on set.” Even if she’s off filming a movie or TV series, the girls can be with her and “that is a much better atmosphere than backstage at a concert,” the source said.
Also, the girls, who are in their teens “need their mother more than their father at this age,” the first Daily Mail source said. “It took a lot of wearing down but Keith finally agreed to her terms,” the source added. “Keith knew he’d never win the battle in court and finally backed down. That’s when the divorce was settled.”
As for other terms of the settlement, which was signed by a Tennessee judge on Jan. 6, four months after Kidman and Urban announced their split, the ex-spouses agreed to waive all rights to child and spousal support, making each parent responsible for their own legal fees and expenses, E! News reported.
Additionally, all property including household furniture, appliances, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, and personal items will be divided to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, with each maintaining ownership of their possessions, E! News added.
