Nicole Kidman Breaks Her Silence on Marrying Tom Cruise at 23: "We Fell Madly in Love"
In a rare, deeply personal British Vogue cover interview, the Oscar winner opens up about young love, career warnings she ignored, and what came after her decade-long marriage to Hollywood's biggest star.
Nicole Kidman rarely talks about her first marriage. But in a new, unusually candid cover interview with British Vogue, the 59-year-old Oscar winner finally looked back on the whirlwind decade she spent married to Tom Cruise — from falling "madly in love" at 23, to brushing off everyone who warned her the marriage would wreck her career.
A Rare, Deeply Personal Cover Story
Kidman sat down with British Vogue for the magazine's September 2026 issue, published online on August 13, 2026, with the print edition landing on newsstands on August 20. It's one of the few times the actress has spoken at length about her marriage to Cruise, a subject she has historically kept close to the chest.
Asked how she manages to feel so at ease at high-profile events, red carpets and runway shows, Kidman admitted the answer traces back to her early twenties. "Because of who I married at such a young age, I was thrust into it since I was 22," she explained, adding that most of her adult life has unfolded under that level of scrutiny — so much so that her memories from before it began feel hazy.
"It Just Seemed Completely Natural"
Kidman met Cruise on the set of "Days of Thunder" in 1989, and the pair married the following year in a ceremony in Telluride, Colorado. She was 23; he was 28. Looking back, she described the leap not as reckless, but as simply following her heart.
"Suddenly I was 22, 23 years old and I had this huge movie star husband. But it just seemed completely natural. We just fell madly in love and it was that simple."
— Nicole Kidman, to British VogueWithin five years of marrying, the couple had adopted two children, Isabella and Connor, and later co-starred together in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) — the director's final film before his death.
The Warnings She Refused to Listen To
Kidman revealed that plenty of people in her orbit tried to talk her out of the marriage, worried it would derail a promising acting career just as it was taking off. Her response, at the time, was simple defiance.
💬 According to Kidman, when people warned her the marriage would hurt her career, she simply told them she didn't care — she was in love, and she wanted to be married. When critics later said "we told you so," her comeback was three blunt words: "So what?" She has said she was even willing to walk away from acting entirely for Cruise.
She never did have to give up her career. Kidman went on to win an Academy Award, six Golden Globes, two Emmys and a BAFTA — and in 2026 alone she's starring in the "Practical Magic" sequel and the TV series "Lioness," "Scarpetta" and "Margot's Got Money Troubles."
From Telluride to the Divorce: A Decade, Timelined
Life After Cruise — and After Urban
Kidman has previously said the years alone after her divorce from Cruise gave her space to grow up, having married so young. She went on to marry country star Keith Urban in 2006, with whom she shares two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. That marriage ended too — the couple announced their split in September 2025 after 19 years together.
In the same British Vogue interview, Kidman described this new chapter of her life as feeling like "free falling," unsure exactly where she's headed next — but she also credited the strong women who raised her with teaching her to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at her.
In a previous 2018 interview with New York Magazine, Kidman offered a rare, more vulnerable reflection on her first marriage — saying that marrying young gave her a sense of protection from the industry's darker side, even as it meant living a somewhat sheltered existence until her early thirties.
The Bottom Line
Twenty-five years after her divorce from Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman is finally speaking about the marriage on her own terms — not with regret, but with a kind of hard-won clarity. She married young, she married for love, and by her own account, she'd make the same choice again.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nicole Kidman marry Tom Cruise?
Kidman and Cruise married in 1990 in Telluride, Colorado, after meeting on the set of "Days of Thunder" the previous year.
How old was Nicole Kidman when she married Tom Cruise?
Kidman was 23 years old when she married Cruise, who was 28 at the time.
Why did Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise divorce?
Cruise filed for divorce in February 2001, citing irreconcilable differences, ending their 11-year marriage.
Is Nicole Kidman still married to Keith Urban?
No. Kidman and Urban, married in 2006, announced their separation in September 2025 after 19 years together.
Share this story
