Kidman Tells Oprah Divorce Is 'Awful'

ByABC News
May 21, 2001, 2:11 PM

May 21 -- Nicole Kidman became agitated and emotional on Oprah Winfrey's syndicated talk show Friday as she openly discussed her highly publicized separation from star Tom Cruise, who filed for divorce in February.

In an appearance to promote her new film, the Baz Luhrmann musical Moulin Rouge, a calm and smiling Kidman quickly became shaken when Winfrey began asking about the demise of her high-profile Hollywood marriage.

"I think that divorce is hard for anyone. It's a nightmare, it just is, and you can pretend you're fine. And days you're great [and] days you're not great," the red-haired star said, fidgeting in her chair.

Chance to Reconcile 'Shuush'

Kidman was pregnant earlier this year, and she ultimately miscarried Cruise's baby following the demise of their marriage, according to court documents filed by the actress.

In a written response to a divorce petition filed by Cruise on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, Kidman said she was stunned when he told her that he no longer wanted to be married, and allegedly begged him to stay and seek marriage counseling. He refused and left for good, according to her response.

When asked by Winfrey whether she thought she would always be married, Kidman timidly replied, "Yeah." The Aussie star seemed nervous as she spoke, occasionally grabbing Winfrey's hands, shifting in her chair, sighing, and expressing shock at the host's probing questions.

When Winfrey asked whether she hoped to reconcile with Cruise, Kidman replied, "Shush!"

'Something Really Bad' Disrupts Charmed Life

"I've had a blessed life," Kidman said, regaining her composure, and yet, "I've always thought [if] something bad is going to happen, something bad is going to happen. But then something really bad happened. A number of really bad things happened. You go, 'I'm dealing with it. I'm stronger than I thought.' Ultimately that's where wisdom comes from, doesn't it?" she said.

Kidman refused to elaborate, stating, "I'm in a position where if I start to answer any of this stuff we have two children, 8 and 6, [and] they are the most important things to us. As a mother my job now is to protect them from any scrutiny they are going to get and in terms of what they're going to read.