Over 20 years after the iconic meme of Nicole Kidman seemingly celebrating her divorce from Tom Cruise took the internet by storm, the Australian actress has finally shared the truth behind the widely circulated image.
In an interview with GQ magazine published earlier this week, Kidman broke her silence about the 2001 photo. When asked about the image—which captures her walking with her arms raised in apparent triumph after finalizing her divorce from Cruise—Kidman firmly denied the story behind it. “That’s not true,” she clarified.
The Oscar-winning actress explained that the photo wasn’t reflective of her real-life emotions at the time. Instead, she stated, “It’s from a role I was playing.” In the viral image, Kidman is seen wearing a patterned top, green capri pants, and sneakers. However, she did not specify which film the photo originated from.
Despite her clarification, the image has remained a cultural touchpoint. It gained renewed attention in September this year when actress Jenna Dewan reposted it on Instagram Stories after settling her own divorce from Channing Tatum.
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were married from 1990 to 2001. The pair, then rising stars in Hollywood, met on the set of Days of Thunder. Their marriage, often viewed as an ideal Hollywood union, lasted 11 years, during which they adopted two children, Isabella and Connor. Following their divorce, Cruise married Katie Holmes in 2006, a union that lasted until 2012. Kidman, meanwhile, began dating country music singer Keith Urban in 2005, marrying him a year later. They have since welcomed two daughters, Sunday and Faith, now aged 16 and 13.
Reflecting on her past in the interview, Kidman also shared a personal moment from that period, recounting how she once woke up at 3 a.m., crying and struggling to breathe due to the emotional toll of her marriage’s end. While their divorce dominated headlines in 2001, the exact reasons behind the split remain undisclosed.
In addition to addressing the divorce meme, Kidman also clarified another viral moment: her “awkward clapping” at the 2017 Oscars. “I was wearing a very heavy borrowed ring, and it hurt,” she explained. “I was afraid of damaging the jewelry. There’s always more to these moments than meets the eye, isn’t there?”
