Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s split was always going to be complicated, but the latest twist lands squarely on their teenage daughters’ shoulders. Multiple reports say the girls are refusing to meet their father’s new 26‑year‑old girlfriend, drawing a firm line as their parents’ nearly two‑decade marriage officially ends. The reaction has turned a private family adjustment into a very public debate about loyalty, timing and what kids owe their parents after a high‑profile divorce.
Behind the headlines is a familiar story, just with Oscar statues and arena tours attached: two parents trying to move on in different ways, and children deciding where they feel safest. While Keith Urban appears to be leaning into a new romance, Kidman’s daughters are said to be “really focused on mum,” and their refusal to engage with his new partner is sending a clear message about where their emotional energy is going right now.
The end of a 19‑year marriage
The backdrop to all of this is a long relationship that did not fall apart overnight. Urban and Kidman were together for 19 years, a stretch that saw them navigate his sobriety, her career highs and lows, and the arrival of their two daughters. Reports say the couple separated in Sept, with Page Six noting that Urban and Kidman quietly pulled back from each other before the split became public and that the divorce was finalized in January 2026.
By the time the paperwork was done, the tone around the breakup was being framed as relatively calm, at least on the legal side. Coverage of the settlement has described the process as amicable, with Nicole Kidman and portrayed as two seasoned stars who managed to divide assets and responsibilities without a courtroom brawl. That relatively smooth legal ending, however, did not automatically translate into an easy emotional transition for their daughters.
How the custody setup shapes everything
Any teenager’s reaction to a parent’s new partner is going to be filtered through the custody schedule, and this case is no different. On The Nerve podcast, Shuter and Callahan discussed how the agreement between Kidman and Urban is described as “strict,” with the girls spending the bulk of their time with their mother and seeing their father on a set rotation. Reports say the arrangement gives Kidman primary care, while Urban’s time is structured around alternating weekends and holidays, a setup that On The Nerve noted adds up to 59 days a year.
That math matters, because it means the girls can simply choose not to show up when a new girlfriend is in the picture. Shuter and Callahan pointed out that the custody terms make it relatively easy for the teens to avoid any overlap with their father’s dating life if they are determined to hold that line. The structure that was meant to give Kidman and Urban clarity after their split is now giving the daughters leverage, and they appear to be using it to keep their father’s personal life at arm’s length.
The reported new girlfriend and a swirl of rumors
The controversy really caught fire once word spread that Urban had moved on with a much younger woman. Entertainment and gossip writer Rob Shuter has said on his Naughty But Nice Substack that Urban is seeing a 26‑year‑old, describing the relationship as new but serious enough to be on the daughters’ radar. Shuter framed the romance as a fresh chapter for Urban, but also as a flashpoint for the girls, who reportedly see the age gap and the timing as jarring, according to But his account.
At the same time, one woman in Urban’s orbit has been working hard to shut down speculation. Country singer Karley Scott Collins, who has been opening for Urban on tour, publicly denied that she and Keith Urban are dating or living together, calling the rumors “ridiculous” and insisting that, for her, it is all just talk. She has been described as his 26‑year‑old opener, but in an interview highlighted by Keith Urban and his tour team, Karley Scott Collins made it clear that the NEED to KNOW for fans is that she is focused on music, not moving into his personal life.
What the daughters are reportedly saying no to
Against that messy backdrop, the daughters’ stance has been described in blunt terms. Reports say Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s girls are “refusing to meet” their father’s new 26‑year‑old girlfriend, and that they have made it clear they do not want to be in the same room as the woman he is dating. One account quoted a source saying “the girls are really focused on mum,” framing their refusal as an act of solidarity with Kidman rather than a simple teenage rebellion, a detail that has been amplified in coverage of Julia DeKorte’s reporting.
Another report put it even more starkly, saying Nicole Kidman’s daughters are refusing to see Keith Urban’s new girlfriend at all and are choosing to stay away from visits where she might appear. That account described the girls as deeply uncomfortable with the idea of their father moving in with a new partner so soon after the divorce, and suggested they are using every bit of control they have to avoid that situation, according to a piece that asked readers, “Have YOU got a story?” and urged them to Email tips about Nicole Kidman and Keith.
Why their loyalty seems firmly with Kidman
Part of why the daughters’ reaction is resonating so strongly is that it fits with a broader pattern of them rallying around their mother. Coverage of the split has repeatedly emphasized that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, both 58, filed for divorce late last year, but that the girls have been “publicly supporting their mom” in the months since. One report highlighted how Sunday and Faith, who are usually kept out of the spotlight, have been more visibly aligned with Kidman, with Nicole Kidman And framed as parents whose Daughters Are Publicly Supporting Their Mom in a way that is unusual for them.
Other reporting has echoed that theme, saying the girls are “really focused on mum” and that their refusal to meet the new girlfriend is less about the woman herself and more about protecting Kidman. A detailed account from SheFinds noted that Late last year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, both 58, filed for divorce after 19 years of marriage, and that the daughters’ current stance is being read as a direct response to how quickly their father appears to be moving on, according to Late coverage of the fallout.
Inside Kidman’s post‑divorce reset with the girls
While Urban’s love life is drawing headlines, Kidman seems to be channeling her energy into a reset with her daughters. She has been described as signaling a “fresh start” after the amicable settlement, focusing on work and family rather than public drama. Reports say Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had officially finalized their divorce in January, and that Kidman quickly leaned into new projects and travel, with one analysis noting how Nicole Kidman appeared determined to frame the split as the start of a new chapter rather than a collapse.
That reset has been literal as well as emotional. Nicole took the girls on a striking Antarctica adventure, sharing photos of penguins and icy landscapes as a kind of visual manifesto for life after the breakup. One report noted that Nicole posted a series of photos, including a close‑up of a group of penguins, and tied the trip to the moment Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Finalize their divorce, suggesting the getaway was both a celebration and a coping mechanism, according to Nicole’s social media updates.
Urban’s reported move‑in and the internet’s reaction
On the other side of the split, Urban’s choices have been under a much harsher spotlight. Reports say that in January, the pair finalized their divorce, with Judge Stephanie J Williams confirming that the settlements on splitting assets and custody were complete. Not long after, coverage suggested Urban had reportedly moved in with his new girlfriend, a detail that poured gasoline on fan frustration and was highlighted in a breakdown of how In January the legal ending of the marriage was quickly followed by a very public new beginning for him.
Online, the reaction has been loud and lopsided. One widely shared piece described how the internet “erupted” after reports that Urban had moved in with a 26‑year‑old, with many commenters siding with Kidman and the girls. The same coverage pointed out that Sunday and Faith are generally more private than that, which made their visible support for Kidman stand out even more, as Daughters Are Publicly became a kind of shorthand for where public sympathy currently sits.
How the girls are crafting their own narrative
For all the noise around them, Kidman’s daughters are not just passive characters in their parents’ story. They are teenagers in a blended, global family, and they are starting to shape their own public image, even if reluctantly. One parenting‑focused analysis noted that She shared the photos on her Instagram with the caption “Thank you @SilverSea for taking me to my 7th continent! Once in a lifetime trip with my girls,” framing the Antarctica journey as a mother‑daughter adventure that subtly pushed back against any narrative of estrangement, according to She and her Instagram caption.
At the same time, coverage of the custody arrangement has stressed that Nicole Kidman’s two teenage daughters are old enough to have a say in how and when they see their father. One report quoted Shuter agreeing with The Nerve podcast host Maureen Callahan that it should be easy for the girls to avoid spending time with any woman dating their father, Keith Urban, given the structure of the agreement, a point underscored in Shuter’s comments about how much agency the teens actually have.
What this high‑profile split says about modern co‑parenting
Strip away the red carpets and tour buses, and the Kidman‑Urban situation looks a lot like the modern co‑parenting tightrope many families are walking. There is a carefully negotiated custody schedule, a parent who seems to be moving on quickly, another who is focused on stability, and kids who are old enough to vote with their feet. The difference here is that every choice is being dissected in real time, from the Antarctica photos to the reported refusal to meet a 26‑year‑old girlfriend, and that scrutiny is shaping how the public reads each move, as seen in coverage that ties Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s daughters’ stance directly to their father’s dating life.
For now, the clearest throughline is that the girls are choosing sides, at least emotionally, and that side is Kidman’s. Late last year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, both 58, filed for divorce after 19 years of marriage, and the fallout is still unfolding, with their daughters’ boundaries becoming the latest chapter in a story that is as much about growing up as it is about breaking up, a point driven home in Nicole Kidman and coverage that keeps circling back to how their daughters are handling the new normal.
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