Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have separated after almost 20 years of marriage, a source confirmed to the BBC.

The Oscar-winning actress and the four-time Grammy-winning country singer share two daughters: Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.

The couple, who both grew up in Australia, married in June 2006. TMZ first reported the split, citing sources who said the pair had been living apart since the summer, adding that Kidman did not want the separation. The BBC’s source corroborated that account.

The reason for the breakup has not been disclosed.

Over their nearly two decades together, the couple experienced both public triumphs and private challenges. They regularly appeared side by side at awards ceremonies and premieres, celebrating each other’s professional achievements.

But just months after their wedding, Urban checked himself into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. Both later said the ordeal strengthened their relationship.

Kidman and close friends staged an intervention that Urban credited with changing his life. In a 2010 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he said: “Everything was just designed, I believe, for that moment to fuse us together. I look back now and realize Nic has taught me so much and brought so much into my life.”

Despite reports of strain, the couple were publicly seen together this year. In May, they appeared affectionate at the Academy of Country Music Awards, where Urban received the ACM Triple Crown Award. The following month, they were spotted watching a FIFA Club World Cup match in Nashville.

Kidman was previously married to actor Tom Cruise for more than a decade. They divorced in 2001 and have two adopted children.

Source: BBC

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