Keith Urban admits he nearly ‘blew up’ Nicole Kidman marriage – Celebrity News – Entertainment

Just one year before they announced their split, Keith Urban opened up about the early challenges in his marriage to Nicole Kidman at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala.

During a heartfelt speech honoring his wife, Urban reflected on a period when his personal struggles threatened to derail their relationship. “We got married in June 2006 and barely four months into our marriage, my addictions…that I’d done really nothing about, blew our marriage to smithereens,” Urban said onstage in Los Angeles.

“Four months into a marriage, I’m in rehab for three months. I had no idea what was going to happen to us…and if you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl. Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own and she chose love. And here we are tonight, 18 years later,” he added.

Kidman who was AFI’s guest of honor that night, reportedly wept as her husband spoke. The couple attended the tribute with their daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.

“That’s the thing about Nic, she loves life,” Urban continued. “I’ve actually never met anyone who has such a passion for being alive. She knows the importance of expressing feelings, as well.”

They welcomed daughter Sunday Rose in 2008, and Faith Margaret arrived via surrogate two years later. Kidman is also the mother of Isabella and Connor, whom she adopted with ex-husband Tom Cruise. 

Despite their separation, the pair have maintained public appearances together. They were last seen side by side at a FIFA Club World Cup 2025 game in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 20. Kidman also marked their anniversary on Instagram that same month.

In 2021, Kidman had previously discussed her marriage to Urban, saying, “We’re always working through stuff, but it’s very much love-based, so there’s an enormous amount of give and take. I want him to have the best life he can have, and he responds the same way.”