Keith Urban was unsupportive of Nicole Kidman as she promoted her sexually explicit movie, “Babygirl” last year, multiple sources told Page Six.
Kidman filed for divorce earlier this week, while Urban had already taken off his wedding ring when he performed on stage in Hershey, PA, Thursday night.
In 2024, the country crooner failed to join his wife at the Venice Film Festival as she debuted the film in August and again when it opened at the Toronto Film Festival that September.
In the movie, Kidman, 58, is a high-powered CEO who launches into an affair with her handsome intern, played by Harris Dickinson, 29, while dissatisfied with her sex life with her husband, played by Antonio Banderas, 65.
“Keith didn’t like the film and he didn’t even like Nicole promoting the movie,” said a Hollywood insider.
Another source alleged that the 57-year-old Urban feared that he would be mocked because of the film’s subject.
Indeed, on July 1, the singer appeared to end an interview on Australia’s Mix 102.3 “Hayley & Max in the Morning” when he was quizzed about his wife’s starring roles with young men.
“What does Keith Urban think when he sees his beautiful wife with beautiful younger men like Zac Efron having these beautiful love scenes on TV and radio?” host Max Burford asked.”I think his team hung up on us because they didn’t want us to ask that question,” the producer added. “He’s gone, see you Keith.”
His co-host Hayley Pearson said she believed they “upset” Urban because he “doesn’t like the personal stuff.”
A source, however, later told People that Urban didn’t leave the call.
Urban has never appeared to have any issues with his wife’s projects before this.
Kidman has indeed made a career of playing women who challenge the norms, with movies such as 1999’s “Eyes Wide Shut” with her first husband Tom Cruise.
And she’s shone a light on issues women face — from domestic violence in “Big Little Lies” to sexual frustration in ‘Babygirl’.
In 2017, Kidman made a vow to work with a female director every 18 months.
Over the last eight years, the Oscar winner has teamed up with a female director, either as a producer or as an actor, 19 times. “Babygirl” was directed by Halina Reijna.
Kidman has several more female-directed projects already in the pipeline.
