Several body language experts weighed in on the clues that may have hinted at Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s unexpected split.
The 58-year-old actress and her country star husband called it quits after nearly 20 years of marriage, with multiple reports confirming their separation on September 29.
Experts pointed to an “element of discomfort” as they dissected the couple’s gestures during what turned out to be their final public outing together.
Highlights
- Experts noted a “sign of tension” in Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s body language during their last public appearance.
- The couple celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary on social media in June 2025, but Keith did not share a post of his own, subtly hinting at marital strain.
- Months before their split became public, Nicole applied for residency in Portugal without Keith, and the two have been living separately “since the beginning of summer.”
“He seems down to earth and she comes across as she's important and high maintenance,” wrote one netizen on social media.
Body language experts shed light on the possible signs that led to Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s separation
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
Nicole and Keith were last publicly seen together at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 football match between US Los Angeles FC and Tunis' Esperance Sportive de Tunis in June of this year.
According to body language expert Louise Mahler, the now-separated couple, who usually did not shy away from PDA during public outings, appeared distant at the match.
It was a “sign of tension” between the pair, as Mahler told Daily Mail, “At one point, Nicole is fiddling with her left hand which is a sign of tension, but we do not know what it is about.”
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
She also pointed out how the Somebody Like You singer avoided direct eye contact with his wife during the outing.
“He is looking away but Nicole is looking at him, it is an odd look.”
The Baby actress and the country star split just months after celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
As news of Kidman and Urban’s split broke, an insider told TMZ that the two “were living separately since the beginning of summer.”
This timeline coincides with the June football match, where their body language already seemed off.
Another body language and behavior expert, Scott Taylor, shared with Daily Mail that there was “some element of discomfort and we have not really seen this prior.”
Image credits: Richard Pelham / Getty Images
“They would often mimic each other's head tilt and even lean into each other equally. You can even see Nicole touching her thumb with her left hand which is potentially her body soothing her mind when that hand would be normally holding his in their prior photographed time together.”
He also noted a “lack of genuine emotion” between the two, pointing out how “their chins dipped a bit lower than usual.”
Scott Taylor noted there was “some element of discomfort” and a “lack of genuine emotion” between Kidman and Urban
Image credits: Richard Pelham / Getty Images
Taylor also highlighted that, in the videos from the couple’s match outing, Keith appeared to be “under stress,” possibly due to high cortisol levels, the hormone released during stress.
“[He] was licking his lips quite frequently and we also see that with discomfort or stress as cortisol is released under stress and it slows saliva production so people's mouths get drier.”
“In prior outings they would have regular eye contact and this appeared also lacking.”
Image credits: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
In the wake of their separation, Nicole has reportedly been caring for their two teenage daughters, with the trio residing in the estranged couple’s shared Nashville home.
Keith, meanwhile, has been living in a separate residence in the same city.
Nicole and Keith have been living separately “since the beginning of summer” in Nashville
Image credits: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
On June 25, the 58-year-old Oscar winner celebrated the pair’s 19th wedding anniversary with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
The post featured a black-and-white image of Nicole cuddled up to her husband, seemingly in a trailer vanity, with both stars having their eyes closed.
She captioned the post, “Happy Anniversary Baby.”
Notably, this was the last time either of them shared a picture of each other on social media.
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
While Kidman marked the milestone, Urban did not share a celebratory post of his own, a detail that, in hindsight, feels like a telling hint.
Another eyebrow-raising moment came in July, when Nicole applied for residency in Portugal without her husband.
Kidman applied for residency in Portugal without her husband months before the news of their separation became public
Image credits: keithurban / instagram
The Perfect Couple star submitted her paperwork to Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
At the time, it was reported that Keith planned to submit his own application later, as his busy U.S. tour schedule prevented him from doing so at the same time as his wife.
Since the start of this year, Nicole’s drastic weight loss also sparked concern among fans, with some speculating about her use of weight-loss medication.
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
However, it may have been linked to her marital struggles, as a TMZ source claimed, “Nicole did not want the separation and has been trying to save the marriage.”
Neither of the two has publicly addressed or confirmed their split yet.
Image credits: nicolekidman / instagram
“You married for better or worse and sometimes it is worse but it gets better,” expressed one sympathetic user online
