Nicole Kidman Finally Opens Up About The Hardships She Faced While Married To Tom Cruise
While most of the world knows Nicole Kidman as a beautiful, talented, and Academy Award-winning actress, no one really knows what went on behind the scenes of her 1990 marriage to Tom Cruise.
Decades later, Kidman finally revealed the hardships she faced while married to the actor and how one aspect of their lives resulted in the end of their marriage.
Nicole Kidman And Tom Cruise Were The "It Couple"
Nicole Kidman married Tom Cruise back in 1990. They were the Hollywood "it couple" for years until their sudden divorce in 2001. Rumors began circulating; everyone was curious as to why two of the biggest stars in Hollywood decided to call off their marriage.
As it turns out, their marriage wasn't exactly a fairytale.
Success Began Pouring In
After the divorce, Kidman went on to have a very successful career, starring in multiple big pictures and even winning an Academy Award for Best Actress with her performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours.
She even went on to win a Golden Globe for the television series Big Little Lies and remarried in 2006 to country singer Keith Urban.
There Is Nothing But Pride In Kidman and Urban's Relationship
With his own fame and fortune, it's amazing that Kidman is actually the breadwinner between the two stars. Not that it matters for their marriage and relationship, Keith Urban is very supportive of his wife.
During interviews, he doesn't hold back when discussing Kidman either, telling whoever will listen how astonishingly proud he is of her career.
Kidman Was Keeping Something To Herself
Even with her success in the entertainment industry, there was always a sadness lingering in Kidman's mind, something that happened while married to Tom Cruise all of those years ago.
The question remains, what had happened during their marriage that was so trying that Kidman had kept it a secret for so long.
Cruise Helped Kidman Get Her Start In Hollywood
Before marrying Urban in 2006, Kidman was married to actor Tom Cruise. And, unlike her overshadowing success to her current husband, Cruise was more successful than Kidman at the time of their marriage.
Cruise's success in the industry didn't stop him from helping Kidman, though. It was actually he who helped her with her big break in Days of Thunder.
She Was Hopelessly In Love
During a 2002 interview with Vanity Fair, Kidman discussed her whirlwind romance with Cruise since her big break in the film and their marriage both happened in 1990. In the interview, the actress said, "[Cruise] basically swept me off my feet."
"I fell madly, passionately in love. And as happens when you fall in love, my whole plan in terms of what I wanted for my life — I was like, 'Forget it. This is it.'”
Cruise Was Heavily Involved With The Church Of Scientology
Cruise sweeping her off her feet wasn't the downfall to their marriage, though. The actor was helping Kidman progress in her career, something she will forever be grateful for. So, what happened between the two that had them dissolve an 11-year marriage?
Well, as it turned out, Cruise was already very involved with the Church of Scientology.
Kidman Was Going To Make The Marriage Work
The head of the church, David Miscavige, was even Cruise's best man at their wedding. It was a lot for Kidman to take in. But she loved Cruise and was determined to make their marriage work.
She wanted to start a family with the Top Gun star, even if it meant immersing herself in the church.
Fertility Issues Were The Beginning Of The End
Unfortunately, something happened that neither Kidman nor Cruise had planned for. While trying to start a family, they ran into fertility issues. It was a difficult time for Kidman, as she wanted to have a family with Cruise.
They didn't know it at the time, but the fertility issues were the beginning of the end of their marriage.
Their Solution: Adoption
They didn't know their marriage was breaking right in front of their eyes. So, they discussed other options since they still wanted a family together. The first thing that popped into Kidman's head was adoption, as she has an adopted relative in her family.
It was the perfect solution, and they'd be helping children who needed a loving home.
Kidman Always Thought She'd Adopt
During a 2007 interview with Vanity Fair, Kidman discussed her decision to adopt while married to Cruise.
In the interview, she said, "My mother has an adopted sister, so it's been part of our family, and I knew it would probably play out somewhere in mine. I didn’t think that it would happen so early, but it did."
The Kids Had A Hollywood Upbringing
The couple wound up adopting two children during their marriage. They adopted Bella in 1993 and then Connor in 1995. The two kids had a typical Hollywood childhood, watching their parents star in huge films and walking on the red carpet.
Nothing was slowing Kidman and Cruise down! In 1999, they even starred in an erotic drama together, Eyes Wide Shut.
They Announced Their Separation in 2001
Fans of the two actors thought they were going to distance. So, when they released a joint statement announcing their separation in 2001, people was shocked. There were no tell-tale signs why the two would be leaving one another.
They kept their private life pretty private, though, not expressing their marital issues during interviews.
The Reason Given Was Their Busy Schedules
Their joint statement, released by spokesperson Pat Kingsley, regarding their separation stated, "Citing the difficulties inherent in divergent careers which constantly kept them apart, they concluded that an amicable separation seemed best for both of them at this time."
There was clearly more to the story, though. So, rumors began to circulate, none of which even came close to the truth -- Kidman's fertility issues.
People Thought It Was A Homebase Disagreement
After the news was released that Kidman and Cruise were separating, people began speculating why. Many thought it was because Kidman wanted to spend more time in Australia, her home, while Cruise wanted to stay in the United States.
Others didn't think it was the distance but rather Cruise's connection to the Church of Scientology.
Others Thought It Was A Work Disagreement
That wasn't the end of the rumor train, though. While people thought it was either location or religion, others were going back to 1999 and the film Eyes Wide Shut. It couldn't have been a coincidence that their separation came soon after the release of the film.
Perhaps working together wasn't what it used to be for the two stars.
Kidman Began Debunking Rumors
The film rumor was laid to rest by Kidman in 2012, though, when she spoke with the Hollywood Reporter about her divorce from Cruise.
During the interview, she said, "People thought that making the film was the beginning of the end of my marriage. But I don't really think it was. Tom and I were close then.”
Kidman Had A Miscarriage And An Ectopic Pregnancy
While Kidman was debunking rumors, some of the truth about why she wanted to end her marriage to Cruise came out during a 2007 interview with Marie Claire.
During the interview, she discussed her pregnancy issues, stating, "I had a miscarriage at the end of my marriage, but I had an ectopic pregnancy at the beginning of my marriage. It was incredibly traumatic for me."
She Didn't Discuss Her Situation For Years
It seemed as though Kidman had been walking around with a huge weight on her shoulders, one she didn't talk about for years after the fact. It took a toll on her marriage and resulted in the inevitable divorce between her and Cruise.
Now, she's finally opening up about her experience.
At The Time, There Was A Lot Of Grief
During a 2018 interview with Tatler magazine, Kidman discussing the impact her miscarriage had on her mental health.
She said, "I know the yearning. That yearning. It's a huge, aching yearning. And the loss! The loss of a miscarriage is not talked about enough. That’s massive grief to certain women."
She Went From One Extreme Emotion To Another
During the same interview, Kidman did discuss how she came out the other side of her grief once she'd adopted her kids. She said, "There's an enormous amount of pain and an enormous amount of joy on the other side."
"The flipside of going through so much yearning and pain to get there is the feeling of 'Ahhhh!’ when you have the child."
Kidman Was Alone After The Divorce
Even though she and Cruise wound up adopting two children, it didn't save their marriage. They eventually divorced in 2001. Afterward, Kidman said she felt more alone than ever, although her schedule was booked, and she won an Academy Award the year after the papers went through.
It was a difficult time for the actress.
She's Finally In A Happy And Healthy Place
Through the pain and heartache, Kidman wound up coming out on the other side. She married Keith Urban in 2006, and together they had two daughters, Sunday and Faith. Her career is still taking off with no looks of slowing down either!
After fertility issues and a miscarriage that broke apart her first marriage, it seems as though Kidman is finally in a good, happy, and healthy place.
