They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but a few months after supposedly instigating his split from Nicole Kidman, her ex Keith Urban might be finding life as a bachelor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In a telling new chat about the often “lonely and miserable” life of a touring artist, the Whangārei-born country crooner, 57, laments all the sacrifices it takes to be a success, including being away from family for weeks on end.
“It’s a calling and you’re going to do it or you’re not going to make it,” explains Keith, who turns 58 this week.
Meanwhile, an insider tells Woman’s Day that the reality of losing his wife of 19 years is starting to dawn on him.
Keith’s confession on life on the road
“There are moments, especially those long nights alone on the road, when he worries he’s making a big mistake,” our source shares.
“This is the woman who saved his life, who he has two beautiful girls with and who loved him with everything.”
Keith made his candid confessions while filming the new reality show The Road, which follows 12 emerging artists as they compete to be his opening act on tour.
Career pressures strain the relationship
He noted, “When you wake up on a tour bus at 3.30 in the morning and you’re sick as a dog, you’re in the middle of nowhere, you haven’t slept, you miss your friends, you’re missing your family, and you’re completely lonely and miserable and sick, you say to yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ The only answer can be because this is what I’m born to do.”
It seems the interview was filmed shortly before Keith and Nicole’s split was made public, when emotions were running high and the actress’ hectic film schedule was said to be causing issues in the relationship.
Now an insider says the singer’s harbouring some regret as he realises they both let their careers take priority over their marriage.
The steep price of choosing freedom
“Keith isn’t doing great and has a tonne of regrets,” our source tells.
“He knows it wasn’t all her fault – they were both guilty of putting their work ahead of their relationship at one point or another. “He’s starting to regret being the one who pulled the plug so soon, but he knows she wouldn’t take him back now. “She gave him plenty of chances to reconsider, but he wanted his freedom. Looking at how tired and broken he seems, it may have come at a steep price.”
Adjusting to life on tour without family
Even when Keith and Nicole, 58, were apart for work, they used to constantly stay in touch. On his High And Alive World Tour, however, there have been no loving FaceTime calls or check-ins, which has been a hard adjustment for Keith, who shared a picture of Nicole and their daughters, Sunday, 17, and Faith, 14, on stage on 2 October, two days after the divorce was revealed.
“Without his family to lean on, it’s much more challenging than he’d anticipated,” our insider reveals of Keith.
“He’s convinced he’s chosen music over love and is getting a creative rush from it all, but the truth is that he’s miserable and going through Nicole withdrawals.”
Nicole on feeling pain and moving forward
The actress has also opened up about getting through the painful times in her life, declaring, “You’re not going to be able to numb it. You are going to have to feel it and it’s going to feel insurmountable at times.”
Nicole & Lenny’s revenge album
Post-split, it seems Nicole is out to prove to Keith that he’s not the only credible singer in the family! An insider tells Woman’s Day that the actress is chasing her dream of making an album and has teamed up with her ex-fiancé Lenny Kravitz as the perfect recording partner!
“Keith might not have thought much of Nicole’s voice, but Lenny was the opposite and has always encouraged her to share her singing skills with the world,” says a source close to Nic, who has dabbled in music over the years.
Keith’s women speak out
Keith’s guitarist Maggie Baugh has only fuelled speculation she could be his new love interest, releasing a new song with the telling lyrics, “I don’t know how to heal my soul or how to fight this feeling.”
But behind the scenes, an insider admits Maggie, 25, and newly single country singer Kelsea Ballerini are “horrified” at being linked to him amid his divorce.
“It’s made things uncomfortable for everyone, but Maggie and Kelsea know to keep their heads down and get on with it – that’s exactly what they’re doing,” the source says.
However, things could get awkward for Keith’s close friend Kelsea, 32, when she heads to Australia to tour at the end of the year.
Our source shares, “She’s hoping everyone will have moved on by the time she gets there in December.”
