Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s divorce was quietly finalised earlier this week, but reports claim a hidden battle ensued behind the scenes after Urban made one demand which hit a nerve.
According to sources, the former couple, who had been married since 2006, were at odds over who would get custody of their daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
It’s claimed that Urban, 58, was demanding equal custody, but Kidman feared history repeating itself.
“The one thing that became a sticking point was custody of Sunday and Faith. Keith was initially asking for equal time with their daughters,” a source told the Daily Mail.
“It was an especially stressful time for Nic. After almost 20 years of marriage, she certainly knows how stubborn Keith can be. She was anxious and distressed that he wasn’t going to budge.”
The insider claimed that Kidman’s fight to have primary custody of her daughters came after learning from her divorce from Tom Cruise.
When Kidman and Cruise divorced in 2001, they agreed to joint custody of their adoptive children, Isabella, 33, and Connor, 30.
However, the children, who are devout Scientologists like Cruise, opted to live with their father.
“Nicole wanted the kids more because she wasn’t given that benefit when she divorced Tom Cruise,” they said.
“It took a lot of wearing down but Keith finally agreed to her terms.
“Their daughters, are both in their teens and need their mother more than their father at these ages. Keith knew he’d never win the battle in court and finally backed down. That’s when the divorce was settled.”
The divorce settlement, signed off by a judge in Tennessee on Tuesday, states the Oscar-winning actress will have her kids 306 days of the year, while the country singer will spend time with them “every other weekend”.
Under the terms of the agreement, the former couple have waived all rights to child support, with both reporting a monthly income “in excess of USDS100,000 (AUD $150,000)”.
They are also required to undertake “co-parenting classes”, and all major decisions involving their children, including education and healthcare, must be made jointly.
All claims for alimony and spousal support have been waived and each party will cover their own legal fees and expenses.
When it comes to dividing assets, including the couple’s reported $282 million property portfolio, Kidman and Urban have agreed that all property, including investments, bank accounts, household furniture, appliances, vehicles and personal items, will be split in a way they both agree upon.
Kidman and Urban own homes in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville and Sydney, though they primarily reside in Nashville.
The pair will retain assets already in their possession, though it remains unclear whether a prenuptial agreement was in place.
The couple confirmed their separation in September 2025, before Kidman filed for divorce days later, citing “irreconcilable differences”.