Nicole & Keith THEY'RE OVER!
After months of marriage troubles, the superstar couple are calling it a day
Constant fighting, marriage counselling, relationship boot camp, secret meetings with a divorce lawyer... Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s relationship has been slowly unravelling for months. Now Woman’s Day has learned that after 85 days apart and endless attempts to save their marriage, the superstar couple are preparing to officially announce their split in the coming weeks.
Insiders say, with their once unbreakable union in tatters, they’re getting set to fight for the custody of their two daughters, nine-year-old Sunday and seven-year-old Faith.
“It’s heartbreaking, but it’s been a long time coming,” an insider reveals of the unhappy split. “Things have gotten progressively bad between them and they haven’t been out together since January, which is a big deal for them.”
After a five-day relationship boot camp in the US failed to o help them work through their eir issues, sources have revealed d the actress and her country singer ger husband, both 50, agreed a trial separation was the last chance nce to see if they could repair their almost 12-year marriage – but ut sadly, it hasn’t worked.
“They thought having some me time apart to really evaluate their marriage was the best way to handle this, but the truth is, the spark isn’t there any more or re and they’ve both realised it’s s no good pretending,” the insider reveals.
Reports out of the US say Keith is now basing himself in a hotel in Los Angeles when he’s not on tour, having moved out of the family home the couple shared in Nashville.
At the time Woman’s Day went to print, the country star was on the bill to perform m at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas just days ys later. Amid endless reports out of the US about the state of the couple’s marriage, it was thought he and Nicole might step out together on the red carpet in a bid to keep up appearances until they’re ready to go public with their split.
But behind closed doors – and as they start afresh without each other – Nic and Keith have become used to leading separate lives, our insiders tell us, despite gushing in the past about how they never go “more than a handful of days” without seeing each other.
SEPARATE LIVES
“They seem to be a lot happier doing their own thing,” the insider says. “He’s doing shows around the States and she’s in Monterey [California] with the kids, shooting the second season of Big Little Lies. She seems to be doing OK.”
That’s partly thanks to her strong support network. etwork. Insiders say Nicole ole has been leaning on co-stars and close friends s Reese Witherspoon and d Laura Dern during downtime on the set, with the source explaining, “Nicole’s surrounded by super-strong women who have all been through difficult times themselves – she’s leaning on them for advice and support during her split.”
FRIENDS RALLY
Nicole’s mum Janelle and her younger sister Antonia are also thought to have rushed to her side in her time of need, while her fellow Aussie Naomi Watts has been another of Nicole’s closest confidantes. Aside from Nic and her being great friends for more than 30 years, Naomi also knows all about unexpectedly navigating the single life after her 11-year relationship with actor Liev Schreiber ended in 2016. “Naomi has taken on the role of Nicole’s ‘divorce guru’ and has been helping her prepare herself emotionally and physically for a divorce,” another insider tells Woman’s Day. “Not only has Naomi been on call 24/7 for Nicole if she needs to talk, she’s also been offering advice on how to prepare the children for an impending split and the best
‘The spark isn’t there any more and it’s no good pretending’
therapists to see. She even sent a mediation and divorce adviser to meet with Nicole.”
And after working out an amicable custody arrangement with Liev for their two sons, Sasha, 10, and Kai, nine, Naomi, 49, also has some pearls of wisdom when it comes to Nic and Keith remaining on good terms.
“She’s advised Nicole to keep things as amicable as possible first and foremost for the sake of the girls, and to try and separate herself and her emotions from the logistics of the split itself to make sure things don’t become more bitter than they already are,” the source adds.
However, Keith might not be too happy to learn that Nicole will also be spending time with another big-name actor on the Big Little Lies set – Alexander Skarsgard. Nicole and Alex, 41, shared some very steamy scenes in the first season, and while his character was killed off, there’s been reports about him returning to the show to film flashback scenes. The actor only fuelled the rumours when he quipped, “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not.”
ON-SET FLIRTING
Whatever the case, their flirty friendship is certainly said to have grated on Keith.
“Keith was always jealous of Nicole’s close friendship with Alex, and that kiss at the Emmys right in front of him sent him over the edge,” says the source. “But she and Alex get on so well – they feed off each other’s energy.”