Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage, citing 'marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences'. The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor petitioned to end the marriage on Tuesday in a Nashville court. The couple, both Australian superstars in film and country music, have two daughters aged 17 and 14.
The divorce filings include a detailed parenting plan, agreed upon by both parties, which designates Kidman as the primary residential parent, with the children spending 306 days per year with her and 59 days with Urban. The plan emphasises mutual respect, stating that neither parent will speak badly of the other and will encourage the children to maintain loving relationships with both families.
The documents reveal that each parent earns more than $100,000 per month, and neither will seek spousal or child support. The division of assets is roughly equal, with each retaining copyrights and royalties from their artistic work. Urban signed the parenting plan on 29 August, and Kidman signed on 6 September, suggesting the split had been in preparation for some time. Under Tennessee law, the divorce will become final after at least 90 days.
The couple met in 2005 at a Los Angeles event honouring Australians and married in Sydney the following year. This is the first marriage for Urban and the second for Kidman, who was previously married to Tom Cruise. Despite public acknowledgements of difficulties, including Urban's stint in rehab early in their marriage, the divorce came as a surprise. Last year, Kidman told the Associated Press that she did not believe in the concept of a 'perfect couple'.
