Nicole Kidman Sets the Record Straight on That Viral Divorce Meme

Nicole Kidman’s viral 2001 photo, which fans loved to believe showed her celebrating her split from Tom Cruise, has officially been debunked.

During an interview with British GQ for her Men of the Year cover story, the Oscar-winning actress spilled the truth behind the iconic image.

“That’s not true,” Kidman said when asked about the meme, which shows her with her arms raised, seemingly basking in post-divorce freedom. “That was not me,” she clarified, adding, “That was from a film. That wasn’t real life. I know that image!”

Though Kidman didn’t specify which movie the snap was from, the myth surrounding it has only grown in popularity over the years, especially after Jenna Dewan used it in an Instagram Story when she finalized her divorce from Channing Tatum in September.

Kidman and Cruise, married in 1990 and adopted two children, daughter Isabella and son Connor before their high-profile split in 2001. While Cruise moved on with Katie Holmes (they were married from 2006 to 2012), Kidman found love again with country star Keith Urban. She started dating Urban in 2005 and tied the knot a year later. The couple share two daughters, Sunday, 16, and Faith, 13.

During the interview, Kidman opened up about her relationship with Urban and the emotions that come with life’s ups and downs. “I wake up at 3 a.m. crying and gasping,” she admitted. “Mortality. Connection. Life coming and hitting you. And loss of parents and raising children and marriage and all of the things that go into making you a fully sentient human. Life is, whew.”

In addition to clearing up the divorce meme, Kidman addressed another viral moment: her bizarre clapping at the 2017 Academy Awards. The “Big Little Lies” star explained, “I had a massive heavy borrowed ring on and it was really painful, and I was scared of wrecking the jewelry,” she laughed. “There’s always something behind the actual images that go out there, right?”

And for those who’ve memed her AMC ad encouraging audiences to get back to theaters post-pandemic? Kidman takes it all in stride, proudly saying she’ll “do anything for cinema.”

Nicole Kidman has been a master at keeping things real and proving there’s always more to the story than meets the eye.