Two months on from their bombshell divorce filing, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are set to reunite
It’s been just two months now since Nicole Kidman rocked the celebrity world after filing for divorce from her husband of nearly two decades, Keith Urban.
Just weeks after their bombshell split was revealed and amidst swirling rumours that Keith had embarked on a new romance with his 25-year-old support act, Maggie Baugh – claims she has denied – Nicole was seen rocking the revenge look at Paris Fashion Week.
Yet behind her sultry new look, fans commented on the ‘sadness’ behind her eyes after having reportedly been left ‘blindsided’ by their marriage breakdown. And now with Christmas fast approaching, the festive season is again likely to see Nicole face yet more emotional turmoil.
However, in their divorce documents, released in September, the former couple, both 58, made it clear that they would continue to ‘provide a loving, stable, consistent and nurturing’ environment for their two daughters – Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
And now a source tells Closer how Nicole is determined to continue to prioritise their daughters above all else, even if that means putting herself through the emotional ringer to reunite with her estranged ex for Christmas Day.
We’re told, ‘Nicole’s got very mixed emotions about spending time under the same roof as Keith again, but the girls have missed their dad terribly, and even though they’ve been trying to stay strong, Nicole knows what they really want is some normal family time and she’s vowed to do whatever it takes to give that to them.
‘They’ve hardly seen Keith the last six months, he’s been touring and they’ve been overseas with Nicole. They’ve been pretty well glued to her side since this all started and they aren’t going to want to be apart from her for the holidays, so her plan is to spend time as a family with Keith.’
Nicole has always been open about her love of Christmas and the traditions she shared with Keith, who also hails from Australia.
Last year the family spent the holidays in Sydney, with Nicole previously admitting, ‘I like a hot Christmas – in both the weather and the meal. I’ll spend it with my family, I’m not interested in material things. I want good food, good family and good health.’
Their primary home, a $3.5 million Nashville mansion is also strewn with twinkling lights, with the actress once confessing that she had been forced to apologise to her neighbours after putting them up at the start of November.
Now, this period will undoubtedly pull on Nicole’s heartstrings and she navigates life post-divorce. But the source says she’s adamant that the girls don’t feel alienated from their dad.
The insider says, ‘Keith has been throwing himself into his concerts and studio work but of course Nicole doesn’t want to alienate him from their daughters. As hurt and angry as Nicole is, she’s very clear she will never turn the girls against Keith, they adore their dad. That’s why she really wants to have this unity with Keith for the holidays – it’s a way to help them heal.
They add, ‘It’s always fallen on her shoulders in the past to coordinate everything for the holidays, and this year she plans to be the bigger person and facilitate a family Christmas together and be accommodating towards Keith.’
Citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ for the reason behind their marriage breakdown, the reasons behind Nicole and Keith’s sudden split have still not been made clear.
However, Oscar winner Nicole’s penchant for roles that push the boundaries sexually has long been rumoured to have put a strain on her marriage, with a source recently telling us, ‘The intimacy isn’t there [with Keith], they are just going through the motions. Keith had to call her out that he isn’t happy.’
And while we were told that Nicole had found their alleged disagreements over her career ‘exhausting’, she still wants to move forward in a loving friendship with Keith.
‘Nicole is heartbroken but she’s never been one to hold grudges and she isn’t just going to stop caring about Keith just because they’re divorcing,’ the insider says.
‘He’s still ‘family’ and doesn’t want to see him suffer and everyone that has seen him lately has told her that he’s struggling. So, even though she’s still very hurt, she’s being the bigger person and has invited Keith to join them for all their old traditions.’
However, their cosy Christmas may not be indicative of their future as a family, with their divorce settlement stipulating that Nicole will be the ‘primary residential parent’ and will care for them for 306 days of the year, and Keith for just 59.
It also details how the couple will split the holidays, with Nicole having the girls for Easter and Mother’s Day, while Keith will spend Father’s Day and Thanksgiving with them. The documents also say that, unlike this year, the pair will alternate who spends Christmas Day with the girls.
And now the source clarifies, ‘It’s not going to be this way forever but at least for this year she wants this for the girls, she’s convinced it will be good for them. Other family and friends will be joining them, so it’s not going to be just the four of them because that would be a little too hard for Nicole to navigate.
‘Still, even with her tribe of people around her, it’s going to take some serious discipline for her to keep her emotions in check as it’s all very raw for her still. But she’s saying she can handle it and it’s clear she’ll do anything for her daughters.’
