Nicole Kidman may be living her dream life now, happily married to Keith Urban, but her journey to love hasn’t always been a smooth one. It’s easy to forget that before this chapter, she was married to Tom Cruise for 11 years, from 1990 to 2001. Their relationship was the talk of Hollywood, and their messy divorce made headlines across the world.
Although time has passed, the story of their breakup is still fascinating, and every now and then, new details come to light. Recently, Nicole opened up about one of the most emotionally challenging moments of her life, which came right in the middle of both heartache and triumph.
For fans of Nicole Kidman, it’s hard to forget that her divorce from Tom Cruise was finalized just before she won her first Oscar in 2003. She took home the award for her incredible performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours. In the 1990s, Nicole and Tom were considered one of Hollywood’s most powerful couples.
During their marriage, they adopted two children—Isabella and Connor—and seemed like the perfect family. But after 11 years, their relationship fell apart.
The timing of the divorce couldn’t have been worse for Nicole. While she was being celebrated for her acting in The Hours and had just been nominated for an Academy Award, the emotional strain of her divorce from Cruise cast a shadow over what should have been a career highlight.
Although Nicole went on to win the Oscar—her first and only so far—she has admitted that the joy of that night was dulled by the pain she was going through in her personal life.
In a revealing conversation with author Dave Karger for his book 50 Oscar Nights, Nicole reflected on that bittersweet night. She shared, “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 thought, ‘I need to find love; I need love in my life. Because this moment, this win, it’s supposed to feel like ours.’”
She went on to add, “I went to bed alone. I was in bed before midnight. If I ever win again, I swear, I’d be out celebrating for 24 hours straight.”
Fortunately, Nicole’s story didn’t end in heartbreak. Just five years after her divorce from Cruise, Nicole found love again when she married country music star Keith Urban in 2006. The couple, who celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary last year, now share two daughters—Sunday Rose, who’s 14, and Faith Margaret, who’s 12.
Despite the difficult moments in her past, Nicole has built a happy, loving family, showing that even after experiencing deep heartache, happiness and love can still be found.
