The Rumor Nicole Kidman Debunked About Her Divorce From Tom Cruise
Celebrities and weird myths go hand in hand, and some of the wildest rumors refuse to die. Case in point: Beyoncé's children. A baffling number of people still believe the conspiracy theory that she faked her pregnancies and used a surrogate. Then there's the outright bizarre theory that Katy Perry is JonBenét Ramsey, the pageant queen who was killed in 1996. Even Nicole Kidman has her fair share of urban legends, though her debunking of one of the most famous might leave fans a little let down.
If you're not perpetually online, you've likely still seen the meme: Kidman leaving a lawyer's office in a patterned pink top, green skirt, and sneakers, looking euphoric — a supposed post-divorce reaction after splitting from Tom Cruise. That photo has become an internet icon, deployed in every context, from quitting a toxic job to breaking up with your ex. But, brace yourself: Kidman set the record straight. "That was not me; that was from a film, that wasn't real life," she confessed to GQ. "I know that image!"
She didn't stop there. The actress took the opportunity to tackle more internet-famous myths and memes. Remember her infamous "seal clap" at the 2017 Oscars? It turns out, she was clapping awkwardly to avoid damaging a loaned ring. And that viral shot of her looking shocked at Will Smith's slap during the 2022 Oscars? It wasn't about the slap at all — she was reacting to Jessica Chastain. Still, Kidman isn't losing any sleep over her internet fame. In fact, she's all for it. "I'll do anything for cinema, so you can meme me as much as you want," she assured.
In reality, she was struggling when she and Tom divorced
While the internet loves to imagine Nicole Kidman skipping out of her divorce from Tom Cruise with a grin and a spring in her step (thanks to that meme), the reality couldn't have been more different. In truth, Kidman described that chapter of her life as one of her darkest — primarily because the divorce blindsided her. "I thought our life together was perfect," she told DuJour in 2012. "It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system."
Still, that heartbreak taught Kidman a lot about herself: it forced her to grow, find happiness within, and discover independence. And, as we all know, it eventually led her to her husband, Keith Urban — the man she now calls her true love. "I was so young," she shared with Vanity Fair. "And you know, with no disrespect to what I had with Tom, I've met my great love now. And I really did not know if that was going to happen. I wanted it, but I didn't want it for a while, because I didn't want to jump from one relationship to another. I had a lot of time alone, which was really, really good, because I was a child, really, when I got married. And I needed to grow up."
By the time Urban came along, Kidman had done the work and was finally at her best — and it paid off big time. "I met him [Keith] later in life and it's been the best thing that's ever happened to me," she told Gayle King in 2022. "That man is the best thing that's ever happened to me."