NASHVILE: Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from her husband, country music star Keith Urban, bringing their 19-year union to an end.
The filing was made on Tuesday in a Tennessee court, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
According to reports, the couple had been living apart since the summer, although sources say Kidman had hoped to avoid separation.
Kidman, 57, and Urban, 56, married in June 2006 in Sydney, Australia. Together, they share two daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14 and have primarily lived in Nashville.
Both stars, who grew up in Australia, have long been considered one of Hollywood and country music’s most admired couples.
Over nearly two decades, they celebrated career highs from Kidman’s Academy Award wins to Urban’s four Grammy victories and frequently supported each other at premieres and award ceremonies.
Their marriage also endured struggles. Just months after their wedding, Urban entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. Kidman, alongside close friends, staged an intervention that Urban later credited with saving his life.
Speaking in 2010 on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he described the experience as a turning point, saying:
Everything was just designed, I believe, for that moment to fuse us together.
The couple’s last public outings appeared to show no cracks. They were photographed in May at the Academy of Country Music Awards, where Urban received the prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award.
In June, they attended a FIFA Club World Cup match in Nashville, smiling and holding hands.
Kidman was previously married to actor Tom Cruise for more than a decade. Their marriage ended in 2001, and they share two adopted children.
At this time, neither Kidman nor Urban has publicly commented further on the divorce proceedings.
