NICOLE’S SHATTERED ANKLE COULD CRIPPLE CAREER!
- FRIENDS FEAR
NICOLE KIDMAN shattered her ankle in a freak accident, and now her hubby, Keith Urban, and concerned pals fear the effects may cripple her career, insiders dished. “It was a pretty awful break,” a source spilled to The National ENQUIRER. “Both Keith and Nicole are doing everything they can to ensure it heals properly and give her every chance to be a leading lady again!” The “Big Little Lies” actress, 52, suffered the painful injury while running through their Nashville neighborhood two months ago, but at the time, the couple kept mum about the incident.
“They were terrified at how much damage it may have done,” the source tattled.
“They didn’t want anyone to know until it had been treated properly by a top orthopedist.”
Insiders said Keith used the time the injury was kept quiet to scour the country looking for the best doctors to give Nicole the treatment she needed to properly heal with minimal permanent damage. But shocking images of the twigthin star hobbling around in a walking boot at a concert Keith performed for frontline caregivers at a Tennessee drive-in on May 15 sent fans rushing to the internet to express their concern for the star.
“Hope you are not in pain!” wrote one, while another simply said, “Heal quickly.” But a quick and full recovery is not likely, according to doctors consulted by The ENQUIRER.
“Ankle injuries are common,” said New Jersey podiatrist Dr. Eric Baskin.
“But if it’s a hairline fracture, she would have long-term problems. Fractures are known to cause posttraumatic arthritis. It can cause a patient to limp — and it’s extremely painful.”
New York’s Dr. Isaac Tabari warned if the injury was not appropriately cared for immediately after the break, the bone would not heal properly and Nicole would never walk the same again.
In the meantime, spies said Keith, 52, has been doing everything possible to ensure his wife — who did not respond to a request for comment — remains comfortable and that her ankle has every chance to get back to 100 percent. “He’s waiting on her hand and foot, cooking meals and propping her feet up on pillows so he can serve her breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed or on the couch,” an insider dished.
“He wants to do anything and everything possible to make sure neither one of them does any further damage to that ankle.” According to the insider, the devoted dad has even taken charge of caring for their two daughters — Sunday, 11, and Faith, 9 — as well as wrangling most of the household chores.
“Keith is treating Nicole like a precious china doll,” the insider said. “They both know her whole career is on the line.”