Nicole Kidman reveals major decision she regrets over her natural hair after viral wig fails

Nicole Kidman is owning up to her biggest beauty regret — just as buzz swirls around her ever-changing hairstyles and the use (and misuse) of wigs.

The 57-year-old Aussie icon first turned heads with her stunning natural strawberry-blonde curls in hits like Dead Calm (1989) and Days of Thunder (1992), where she starred opposite her then-future husband Tom Cruise.  

Even as her career soared with roles in Practical Magic, Batman Forever, and Australia, she largely stuck to variations of her signature look — long, ginger-tinted waves with plenty of bounce.  

But recently, Kidman has stepped out in a series of dramatic wigged looks — ranging from sleek straight styles to blunt cuts, and one that became a viral misfire.

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, fans noticed a rare misstep from the star when the mesh cap of her wig peeked through in red carpet photos — prompting chatter online.

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Nicole Kidman is owning up to her biggest beauty regret — just as buzz swirls around her ever-changing hairstyles and the use (and misuse) of wigs; (seen on May 18)

The 57-year-old Aussie icon first turned heads with her stunning natural strawberry-blonde curls in hits like Dead Calm (1989) and Days of Thunder (1992, pictured), where she starred opposite her then-future husband Tom Cruise 

Despite defending her love of transformation — telling Channel Seven’s Sunrise this week that she enjoys ‘changing [her] hair’ and relies on hairpieces to do so — Kidman admits she regrets turning her back on her natural curls.

‘Why did I straighten my hair?’ she reflected in a new Allure interview, after being shown throwback photos from Days of Thunder. 

‘I loved my hair there. That is my natural hair. Isn’t that crazy?’

She added a heartfelt note to young fans: ‘So for all the little girls out there — embrace the curl. Do not follow in my steps and straighten your hair.’

But there’s still hope for her signature ringlets. 

Though she rarely wears them in public these days, the Big Little Lies star says her curls can bounce back.

‘I can do that to my hair still,’ she shared, ‘but it needs to be kind of humid, and I need to use the right product.’

The Oscar-winning actress also got candid about the emotional reality of aging.

Even as her career soared with roles in Practical Magic, Batman Forever, and Australia, she largely stuck to variations of her signature look — long, ginger-tinted waves with plenty of bounce; (seen with Cruise in 1992)

Despite defending her love of transformation — telling Channel Seven ’s Sunrise this week that she enjoys ‘changing [her] hair’ and relies on hairpieces to do so — Kidman admits she regrets turning her back on her natural curls; (Far and Away in 1992)

When asked whether growing older has been difficult, Kidman didn’t hold back.

‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve always been a future person, and suddenly you go, “Oh.” It’s about coming to terms with the fact that you have no control over what lies ahead.’

She went on to explain that the shift in perspective stems in part from personal loss, as her mother recently passed. 

‘Probably that’s to do with losing people very, very suddenly. I now have more time behind me than ahead,’ she said. ‘That shift in the ratio becomes a big thing.’

Reflecting on life’s bigger questions, she added: ‘You’re just always going, “What is all this?” The existential questions. Who are we? Why are we here?’

Kidman is set to mark her 58th birthday on June 20.

Nicole then opened up about the profound grief she’s experienced since the passing of her mother, Janelle, in September of last year.

‘Losing my mother changed every part of me,’ she told the outlet, sharing that the two had spoken several times a week. 

‘Why did I straighten my hair?’ she reflected in a new Allure interview, after being shown throwback photos from Days of Thunder, adding, ‘I loved my hair there. That is my natural hair. Isn’t that crazy?”

‘For the Met Gala, everyone was questioning if I had chopped my hair off. But no, I didn’t,’ she explained; seen above at the 2025 Met Gala in NYC 

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival , fans noticed a rare misstep from the star when the mesh cap of her wig peeked through in red carpet photos — prompting chatter online 

‘It still feels so raw,’ she added, describing herself as being ‘on the journey of grief — the year of magical thinking.’

That loss has taken on even deeper meaning as Kidman navigates motherhood herself. 

She shares daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 14, with husband Keith Urban.

She’s also a mother to Bella, 32, and Connor, 30, whom she adopted during her previous marriage to Cruise.

‘Being a daughter and a mother — you start to see the circle of life in such a visceral way,’ she reflected. ‘Grief doesn’t end. It evolves.’