Keith Urban recently shared intimate details about his initial meeting with Nicole Kidman at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala.
During his emotional speech at the star-studded event, which was held to honor Nicole Kidman as the 2024 AFI Life Achievement Award recipient, Keith Urban openly recounted his nervousness about calling Kidman after they first met at a G’Day LA event in 2005.
He vividly described feeling like he had “snuck into the royal ball” due to Kidman’s “truly otherworldly aura,” likening the experience to meeting a “real-life princess.”
“Despite all of that, I did manage to get her phone number on a tiny piece of paper,” Urban shared.
Urban revealed that he had carried Nicole’s number in his pocket for an entire week.
Despite his apprehension, Urban eventually mustered the courage to call Kidman, an act he described as a significant milestone in their relationship.
“I was scared. I was nervous to call her. I did, as you probably figured out, pluck up the courage to finally call her.”
During his speech, as reported by PEOPLE, Urban candidly shared how Kidman, whom he initially perceived as a “mystic creature,” turned out to be “just a wide-eyed, giddy girl from the Sydney suburbs” with a deep-rooted Australian identity despite being born in Honolulu.
Watch the video below to hear Keith Urban express his adoration for his wife in more detail.
@byclaytondavis Keith Urban pays tribute to his wife NICOLE KIDMAN at AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT gala.
The AFI tribute to Kidman also marked the first public red carpet appearance for her and Urban’s teenage daughters, which was rare, as the couple typically keep them out of the public eye.
Urban’s touching speech also delved into Kidman’s unwavering support during challenging times, including his stint in rehab for substance abuse shortly after their marriage in 2006.
“I do want to take an opportunity to talk about Nic’s heart and her spirit. We got married in June, 2006 and barely four months into our marriage, my addictions that I’d done really nothing about, blew our marriage to smithereens,” Urban admitted. “And I went into the Betty Ford Center for three months. Four months into a marriage I’m in rehab for three months. I had no idea what was going to happen to us.”
He emotionally expressed his deep love and gratitude towards Kidman for sticking by him, acknowledging her resilience and loving spirit.
“Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own. And she chose love. And here we are tonight, 18 years later.”
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Shortly after completing rehabilitation, Urban launched a track dedicated to Kidman titled “Got It Right This Time.”
Listen to the heartfelt song below!