Nicole Kidman may now be living out her fairytale marriage with Keith Urban, but she’s not always been so lucky in love.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that she and Tom Cruise were married for eleven years between 1990 and 2001, and that the pair went through a messy divorce that dominated tabloid headlines at the time.
Though the years have passed the breakdown of their relationship makes for an interesting read, and there’s still new morsels of information coming out today.
Kidman recently opened up on one of the most emotionally conflicted moments of her illustrious career, one that served arguably her greatest victory amidst a whirlwind of turmoil and sadness.
Fans of the actress will be all too aware that the finalization of Cruise and Kidman’s divorce came just prior to her winning an Oscar in 2003 for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours.
Cruise and Kidman had established themselves as one of Hollywood’s power couples in the preceding decade and their marriage saw them adopt two children – Isabella, 31, and Connor, 28. Sadly, after 11 years it came crashing down.
The pair would eventually divorce, though the completion of the process could hardly have come at a worse time for Kidman. The actress had been nominated for an Academy Award after starring in The Hours, and her divorce from Cruise overshadowed what should have been one of the highlights of her career.
Though she won the Oscar – her first and only to date – Kidman has since claimed that her big night was ruined by what was going on in her personal life.
Speaking to author Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights, as relayed by People, she said: “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 went, I need to find my love; I need a love in my life. Because this is supposed to be when you go, ‘This is ours.”
She went on: “I went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight. If I ever won again, I’m telling you, I’d be out for 24 hours.
Fortunately for Kidman, her story had a happy ending. Five years after her divorce from Cruise, the now-56-year-old tied the knot with Keith Urban. The pair, who celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary last year, share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 14, and Faith Margaret, 12.