He’s spent nearly two decades with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars on his arm. Now, Keith Urban is learning what it means to stand in the spotlight alone – and it’s not exactly a smooth landing.
In one of his first major public outings since his split from Nicole Kidman was formalised, the 58-year-old Aussie country icon braved the red carpet at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in Las Vegas last week without his former other half in tow. And if the cameras caught anything, it was a man still finding his footing.
“It was pretty obvious Keith was nervous about flying solo,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “He knew he was going to be facing off the press for the first time since the divorce and he didn’t look comfortable at all. He looked anxious and almost shy, but his smile didn’t meet his eyes this time – it’s clear he was a little lost without his former ‘other half’.”
The contrast with his ex couldn’t be more glaring. While Nicole, 58, has been practically glowing at every event she’s graced since the split, Keith’s red carpet energy told a very different story.
Fans watching a clip of his arrival online were quick to pick up on the shift, with comments ranging from “looks gorgeous however also anxious” to “lost without his ex and daughters.” Several noted he simply looked sad.
“With Nicole, she was always the star and he didn’t have to do much except smile and not trip over anything,” the insider explains. “Now he’s the centre of attention and it’s nerve-wracking. It’s times like these he misses having a red-carpet queen by his side – but there’s no going back for Keith.”
Adding another layer to his unease is the reported distance between him and the couple’s two daughters – Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15.
The pair, who wed in 2006 and called time on their 19-year marriage in September 2025, settled their split in early 2026, with custody arrangements in place. But sources suggest the girls are currently living with their mother, and the father-daughter relationships have hit rocky ground.
Things became undeniably public last month when Sunday unfollowed her father on social media, though she later refollowed him.
The rift is clearly weighing on him – and our insider says it’s this, more than anything, that’s driving a rare stubbornness in the usually easy-going star.
“He’s heartbroken over the distance from his girls, and until that’s patched up, he’s more than happy to take up the red carpet spotlight,” the source says. “He’s certainly trying to step out from Nicole’s shadow and is going for a new, more youthful, casual look than the suits and ties she apparently favoured. While the fashionista jury’s still out, he knew he’d be nervous and wanted to be as comfortable as possible.”
