Nicole Kidman has reportedly moved to formally end her marriage to Keith Urban, and the filing includes a significant request regarding their children. The development follows widespread reports that, after nearly two decades together, the pair had been living apart since early summer, with TMZ noting the separation became apparent when Urban quietly relocated from their Nashville home.
Accounts circulating in recent days suggest the breakup was not mutual. According to those reports, Kidman was caught off guard by the decision to separate, while Urban is said to have initiated the split. Insiders also claimed Kidman has focused on stability for their daughters—Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14—“holding the family together through this difficult time since Keith has been gone,” while Urban “has acquired his own residence in Nashville and has moved out of their family home.”
A new update indicates a formal petition has now been filed, and documents described as obtained by People appear to detail Kidman’s central request concerning custody. The filing reportedly outlines a specific parenting schedule and sets expectations for how both parents communicate about one another moving forward.
As part of the petition, Kidman is said to have asked to be designated the primary residential parent for Sunday and Faith. Reports state Urban has agreed to an arrangement in which the children would spend 306 days of the year with Kidman and 59 days with him. The filing further includes mutual conduct provisions aimed at preserving civility in public discourse and supporting the children’s relationships with both parents.
“[They will] encourage each child to continue to love the other parent and be comfortable in both families.”
Additional details attributed to the paperwork indicate Urban signed on August 29, followed by Kidman’s signature on September 6. The couple, photographed together frequently over the years—from red carpets to music award audiences—have not publicly commented on the reported filing or the specific terms, and no official reasons have been confirmed.
Observers note that the weeks leading up to the filing coincided with speculation about growing distance. In the months since the death of Kidman’s mother last year, sources quoted elsewhere have suggested the spouses were spending more time apart, with one insider telling Radar Online that the separation became more pronounced after that loss.
“They do make a big effort to speak every day when they’re apart, but it’s quite shocking how much time they’ve spent apart since Nic’s mother died (last) September.”
“It’s like they both went their separate ways and now she’s getting comfortable in a dream home in London on the other side of the world.”
Meanwhile, other unnamed sources have attributed tension to Kidman’s recent screen roles involving intimate scenes, alleging Urban took issue with the content. Those claims remain unverified and have not been addressed directly by either party. Still, they feed into a broader narrative of mounting pressures—from demanding schedules and geographic distance to the public scrutiny that trails two high-profile careers.
For now, the focus in the reported filing appears to be forward-looking: a structured parenting plan, a pledge to avoid disparagement, and language intended to keep the children’s well-being at the center of the transition. The approach tracks with how Kidman and Urban have typically presented themselves over the years, emphasizing family even as they navigated separate professional commitments.
While fans wait to see whether further legal steps or public statements follow, the portrait that emerges is of a couple prioritizing privacy, clarity, and stability for their daughters during a difficult moment. The specifics—signing dates, residential time allocations, and communication boundaries—suggest an effort to limit turmoil and maintain a respectful co-parenting framework, regardless of what ultimately led them to this point.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – JANUARY 5, 2020 – Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban photographed on the red carpet of the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
