Country music star Keith Urban opened up about a dark chapter in his 18-year-long marriage to actress Nicole Kidman. The star revealed a past struggle that nearly tore them apart. Urban fought back tears as he took the mic and gave a heartwarming speech in front of hundreds of other Hollywood stars. The Australian singer was presenting at the AFI Live Achievement award that was filmed back in April but aired this weekend.

Keith Urban admits to ‘almost ruining marriage’ to Nicole Kidman

“We got married in June 2006, and barely four months into our marriage, the addictions that I had done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens.” In a heartfelt confession, an emotional Urban admitted he "almost destroyed their marriage" just months after they tied the knot.

While paying tribute to his wife and presenting at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award, Urban, who spent time in rehab shortly after their wedding, shared insight on what happened and how the crumbling marriage was saved because of Kidman’s effort. He went on to add, “Four months into a marriage, and I’m in rehab for three months with no idea what was going to happen to us.”

Nicole first met Urban in 2005 and felt an immediate attraction, though she admitted they didn't stay in touch for a long time. However, she made sure to give him her number, and it took him four months to call her back. The couple married in 2006 at St. Patrick’s Estate on the beach in a suburb of Sydney, Australia, and have remained inseparable since then.

Keith Urban recalls how Nicole Kidman saved their marriage

The Paperboy actress was married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001, and the couple adopted two children, Isabella and Connor, who have largely stayed out of the public eye—until now. With Keith Urban, she shares two teenage daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. While delivering the speech at the gala night, Urban praised his wife, saying she has “the capacity to love like no one I’ve ever met.

“Nic pushed through every negative voice — I’m sure even some of her own — and she chose love. And here we are tonight 18 years later,” he said, before adding, “If you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl.”

Teary-eyed Nicole continued looking at the love of her life and was seen wiping a tear from her eye as she soaked in the warmness of his words. He continued, “And here we are tonight, 18 years later.”

In a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Urban admitted that witnessing his father's addiction impacted him deeply. He shared that it took him “a long time to get sober” because he didn't initially recognise his own alcoholism, comparing his drinking to his father's. Eventually, he made the right choice to get sober, a decision he wished “his father had also made.”

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