If you were around in the '90s, you remember them. They weren't just a couple; they were the couple. Two porcelain-skinned, impossibly famous humans who seemed to have figured out how to win at life while the rest of us watched from the cheap seats. But even now, decades later, people still ask the same thing: how long was nicole kidman married to tom cruise, and why did it actually end?
The math is pretty simple. They were married for almost exactly 11 years.
They tied the knot on Christmas Eve in 1990. It was a private ceremony in Telluride, Colorado. By the time 2001 rolled around, the dream was over. Tom filed for divorce in February of that year, just two months after they celebrated their tenth anniversary.
The Whirlwind That Started it All
Nicole was only 22 when she met Tom. He was 28 and already a massive global star. They met on the set of Days of Thunder. Honestly, Nicole has said in interviews that her jaw literally dropped the first time she saw him. He pulled up in a Porsche, walked out, and that was it.
She felt like she’d been hit by a lightning bolt. They married within a year.
Back then, Nicole felt like being married to a man that powerful gave her a weird kind of protection. In a 2018 essay, she mentioned that his status shielded her from the "casting couch" culture of Hollywood. She was "cocooned." But that cocoon had a price. She was incredibly young, and she basically grew up within the confines of a very public, very scrutinized relationship.
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How Long Was Nicole Kidman Married to Tom Cruise? The Timeline
If you want the specific numbers, here is how the decade-plus broke down:
- Married: December 24, 1990
- Separated: December 2000
- Divorce Filed: February 2001
- Finalized: August 2001
The timing of the split was actually pretty weird. They had just finished filming Eyes Wide Shut with Stanley Kubrick. That shoot was notorious—it took 400 days to film. Think about that. Over a year of playing a married couple in a psychological thriller about infidelity and cult-like secret societies.
Nicole has always maintained that they were happy during that shoot. They lived in a trailer on the lot and made spaghetti for Kubrick. But shortly after the movie came out, the marriage hit a wall.
The Kids and the "Shock"
During their 11 years together, they adopted two children: Isabella (born 1992) and Connor (born 1995). The family seemed solid.
Then came the "shock to the system." That’s how Nicole described the divorce. Tom cited "irreconcilable differences," but for her, it felt like the rug was pulled out from under her feet. There’s a famous photo of her leaving her attorney's office after the divorce was finalized, arms thrown wide, looking like she’d just been released from prison.
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People love that photo. It’s become a meme for freedom. But the reality was way more painful. Nicole has said she was "struggling" during the 2003 Oscars—the year she won for The Hours—because the divorce was still so fresh and the loneliness was hitting her hard.
Misconceptions About the Split
A lot of people assume it was all about Scientology. While Nicole has been mostly respectful and "trepidatious" about discussing the church, it's the elephant in the room. Her children, Bella and Connor, were raised in the faith and remained with Tom after the split.
There were also rumors about fertility. Nicole has since clarified that she had an ectopic pregnancy at the very start of the marriage and a miscarriage right at the end. It was a lot of physical and emotional trauma packed into those 11 years.
The Aftermath: Growing Up at 33
When the marriage ended, Nicole was 33. She’s famously said that she had to "grow up" once she wasn't under Tom's wing anymore.
Interestingly, there’s a weird Hollywood legend about the "number 33." All three of Tom Cruise’s wives—Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes—were 33 years old when their marriages to him ended. Coincidence? Maybe. But it’s a detail that fans still obsess over today.
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Nicole eventually found her "great love" in Keith Urban. They married in 2006. Even though recent reports in early 2026 have suggested they are navigating their own difficult chapter, her 20-year run with Keith has been vastly different from the high-pressure, "cocooned" decade she spent with Cruise.
What We Can Learn From the Kidman-Cruise Era
Looking back, that 11-year marriage was a masterclass in how fame can both protect and isolate you.
- Marrying young changes your trajectory. Nicole was a kid when she started. Her identity was tied to being "Tom Cruise's wife" for a long time.
- Public perception isn't reality. They looked perfect on every red carpet while dealing with miscarriages and intense filming schedules behind the scenes.
- Recovery takes time. It took Nicole years to find her footing as a solo artist and a person outside of that marriage.
If you’re looking to understand the nuance of Hollywood history, don’t just look at the dates. Look at the shift in Nicole's career before and after 2001. She went from being a "starlet" to one of the most respected actresses of her generation. Sometimes, the end of a long chapter is exactly what's needed for the real story to begin.
Check out Nicole’s recent filmography to see how she transitioned from those "protected" early years into the powerhouse producer she is today. It’s a pretty incredible evolution.