Nicole Kidman doesn’t speak openly about Tom Cruise every day.
Photos of Tom Cruise with his kids are rare. Even rarer is Nicole Kidman mentioning her ex-husband following their infamous divorce in 2001.
Much of the world assumes that she does not want to alienate their adult children. They, like their famous father, are Scientologists.
Yet the meme queen of AMC is speaking up now and directly addressing their erstwhile marriage.
Tom Cruise and his Australian wife, Nicole Kidman arrive at the official opening of Fox Studios Australia in Sydney 07 November 1999. (Photo Credit: TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images)
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise costarred in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 film that has become a common frame of reference even for those who have never seen the film.
Whether it’s a comedic skit with visual references to the Stanley Kubrick project, a conspiracy theorist evoking its vibes while claiming that it’s all true, or people discussing mild kinks, Eyes Wide Shut is a cultural touchstone.
Tom Cruise starred in it. So did Nicole Kidman. The two were husband and wife at the time.
Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise) and Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman) in Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” (Photo Credit: Warner Bros)
On July 16, The Los Angeles Times released an interview with Nicole Kidman in which she reflected upon the film, the process, and whether her marriage at the time influenced Kubrick’s directorial vision.
“I suppose he was mining it,” the beloved actress mused upon reflection. She and Cruise had been married for about 8 years at the time of the film.
“There were ideas he was interested in,” Kidman recalled. “He’d ask a lot of questions.”
Actors Tom Cruise, who stars in the film, and Nicole Kidman arrive at the premiere of “Mission Impossible 2” May 18, 2000. (Photo Credit: Chris Weeks/Liaison)
Stanley Kubrick may have taken inspiration from the real couples’ real marriage
Nicole Kidman then emphasized of Kubrick: “But he had a strong sense of the story he was telling.”
She shared: “I do remember him saying, ‘Triangles are hard. You have to tread carefully when it’s a triangle.’”
Kidman then explained: “Because one person could feel ganged up on. But he was aware of that and knew how to manage us.”
Actor Tom Cruise and his wife Nicole Kidman pose for photographers at the Sydney premiere of “Mission Impossible 2” May 30, 2000. (Photo Credit: Matt Turner/Liaison)
“There’s something about being a woman in that equation, too,” Nicole Kidman said of her and Tom Cruise’s respective rapports with Kubrick. “And Stanley liked women.”
She observed: “He had a different relationship with Tom. They worked more closely together on his character.”
During past interviews, Nicole Kidman has remarked upon how she and Tom Cruise were happily married throughout filming — even though the film itself deals in topics such as power and infidelity.
It is rare to hear Nicole Kidman discuss Tom Cruise
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise share 31-year-old Isabella and 29-year-old Connor. They adopted the two as children. Both Tom and Nicole went on to have children in subsequent relationships, though Tom and Suri do not appear to be close.
It is very unusual for her to remark upon her publicly mention her ex-husband. Some believe that their divorce included an ironclad NDA. Other suspect that it is Kidman’s attachment to her adult children and fear of the Church of Scientology turning them against her that has her keep any critical thoughts to herself.
For the record, she has not confirmed any of this. In fact, her past commentary on her infamous ex has been to describe loving him during their marriage. It may be that she’s just a very nice person who speaks positively of people.
Nicole Kidman Admits Tom Cruise Marriage Was ‘Managed’ At One Point in Rare … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.