Nicole Kidman transformed from a totally infatuated wife to awkward and rigid around her husband Keith Urban in just a matter of weeks, according to a body language expert.
It was reported on Monday night that the couple have separated after 19 years of marriage, with insiders claiming the Oscar-winning actress, 58, was ‘blindsided’ by the musician’s decision to take a break.
While news of their split has left many in a state of shock, body language expert Judi James noted how Hollywood actress Nicole appeared like a ‘rigid doll’ around her husband during their last public outing in June.
Together, their combined signals of distance were worlds away from their behavior just weeks before when they were all over each other at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards in Texas in May.
At their jaunt in May, where Keith, 57, was honored with the ACM Triple Crown Award, Judi observed that Nicole and Keith gave off mutual signs of ongoing adoration.
‘Nicole’s behavior was almost balletic in the way she hung round his neck or responded to his cheek kisses as though in some level of deepest ecstasy,’ she told Daily Mail.
‘Would a woman on the verge of a split and potentially in a state of negativity towards her husband adopt such extreme poses of adoration? It’s unlikely enough to suggest Nicole was still completely attached to her husband here in May.
‘Of course, they looked like overkill rituals, but they were so emphatically and equally performed that it seemed impossible to imagine it was underpinned by anything other than togetherness and affection.
Nicole Kidman looked ‘completely attached’ to husband Keith Urban during their last red carpet appearance in May
The couple appeared totally smitten as they attended the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards
‘Why go so far to produce industrial-strength signals of romantic involvement if behind the scenes you’re primed for a split? It could only mean egg on one of their faces and neither were really in need of the publicity.
‘I see celebrity couples performing tangos of passion on the red carpet all the time and it’s nearly always either to plug a movie they’re co-starring in or to keep them relevant by producing a thirst trap for the fans.
‘But their recent Country Music Awards appearance came when Keith was receiving what looked like the highest accolade tribute as an artist, while A-list Nicole’s star is on a constant high.
‘And Nicole made herself a very noticeable presence at the awards. She got her own applause, and she canoodled in the front row with Keith and fan-girled him when he was on stage.
‘There was no subtlety about her appearance, just a totally besotted wife adoring her husband in a very camera-hogging way.
‘Her red carpet pose here entails a possessive hand of proud ownership on Keith’s chest and a knowing smile to the camera to suggest “He’s mine.”
‘Nicole even stands closer to press her shrugged torso against his while he holds her bum and she smiles coyly at the camera, making them look like a couple that needs to “get a room.”
‘As he encircles her with his arms to kiss her on her cheek in the front row seats, Nicole grabs at his arm in a gesture of appreciation and reciprocation while her closed-eyed expression of ecstasy tells the cameras she’s in some kind of state of bliss at his touch.’
Body language expert Judi James said of Nicole: ‘There was no subtlety about her appearance, just a totally besotted wife adoring her husband in a very camera-hogging way’
Judi also pointed out that Nicole’s ‘closed-eyed expression of ecstasy’ tells the cameras she’s ‘in some kind of state of bliss at his touch’
The same appearance of unity and romance could not be said of the couple’s outing one month later.
‘By June, at the FIFA Club World Cup though, Nicole’s body language makes her look like a rigid doll here,’ Judi said.
‘Her arms are held stiffly at her sides, and her chin is pulled in as her eyes are held wide open. It’s the strangest, most awkward-looking pose from a woman who is normally bound round her man like ivy.
‘Keith looks uncomfortable with no touch between them, grinning nervously as he clutches and leans against the rail with his tongue appearing to protrude in a gesture of anxiety and/or rejection.’
Prior to their June outing, Nicole and Keith were known for their valiant public displays of affection.
By June, Nicole and Keith’s body language had completely shifted
According to Judi, Nicole seemed like a ‘rigid doll’ while Keith looked ‘uncomfortable’
The couple had been photographed from the stands during the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Los Angeles FC and ES Tunisie in Nashville
Over the years, they have shown off their love for one another on a multitude of occasions, such as sharing a passionate smooch on the Oscars red carpet and Nicole sitting on Keith’s lap during an interview with Jimmy Fallon.
Nicole and Keith tied the knot in 2006. Together they share two daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
According to reports, the couple have been living apart after Keith moved out of their Nashville mansion while on a music tour.
Nicole stayed behind with the kids and juggled a busy filming schedule in London, renting a lavish mansion for $87,000 a month while shooting the Practical Magic sequel.
Sources have claimed the split grew more noticeable after the death of Nicole’s mother in September 2024.
Nicole was previously married to Tom Cruise, 63, from 1990 to 2001, and the exes adopted two children during their union.
