Keith Urban reportedly found his marriage to Nicole Kidman “unbearable” after quietly falling out of love years ago, a source close to the country star has said.
Reps for the Aussie A-listers confirmed their separation in September before a “blindsided” Kidman filed for divorce days later, citing “irreconcilable differences”.
Urban and Kidman, both 58, married on the grounds of St Patrick’s Estate in Manly, Sydney back in 2006 in one of the highest profile celebrity weddings of the decade.
Within months Urban checked himself into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction and Nicole later admitted they “didn’t really know each other” on their wedding day.
The couple share biological daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14, while Nicole has two adult adopted children from her first marriage to Tom Cruise.
In recent weeks, rumours have emerged that Urban was fed up with Nicole’s relentless work schedule or that the Grammy winner grew weary of his wife’s greater global fame.
According to a source who spoke to American tabloid Radar Online, the demise of the marriage started in January following the release of Urban’s latest album, High.
The release of the album, which barely reached the top 40 on the American Billboard charts, coincided with Urban firing members of his band who’d worked with him for 25 years.
After parting ways with his band mates, Urban is said to have decided to “sow some wild oats” and set up a bachelor pad not far from the family’s Nashville home.
“Urban found it unbearable to be trapped in a sexless marriage,” the insider told the tabloid on Monday.
Sources said the power couple “fell out of lust” years ago but have kept up an elaborate public persona as a “happy couple”.
Ironically, the marriage breakdown coincided with the success of Kidman’s steamy thriller Babygirl, which featured explicit nudity and explored a female CEO’s affair with an intern.
The divorce of one of showbiz’s most high-profile couples shocked industry insiders.
As recently as July, a source close to Kidman shut down speculation that the couple were on the rocks after Nicole and the couple’s daughters filed for residency in Portugal without Urban.
The Portugal revelation came after reports the family had not been together in months while Urban was touring his album and Kidman was shooting Practical Magic 2.