In September last year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban stunned the world when they announced their divorce after nearly 20 years of marriage. They cited ‘irreconcilable differences,’ and it was later revealed that although Nicole filed for the divorce, Keith had sought the separation. Reports suggested that the Oscar winner was taking care of their daughters and ‘holding the family together’ during this difficult time.
However, six months after the split, it appears that the couple is moving on. Nicole, 58, has been linked to fellow Australian Simon Baker in recent dating rumours. What’s behind these whispers? Here’s a look at everything we know so far.
Who is Simon Baker?
Simon Baker, 56, is an Australian actor and director. He has appeared in various television shows and films, including Home and Away and The Devil Wears Prada. He also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role in the drama series The Mentalist.
Simon married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg in 1998, after five years of living together. However, the couple separated in 2020. They have three children: a daughter and two sons.
Why have Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker sparked dating rumours?
Nicole and Simon both star in the new Amazon Prime crime drama Scarpetta, where the Babygirl actor plays the leading role. During the show’s New York premiere on March 3, the pair — who play husband and wife — were seen holding hands on the red carpet. Later, they were photographed heading into the after-party together.
Nicole also previously revealed that she had recommended Simon for the show. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said they have known each other for a significant portion of their lives. She added, “I’ve always wanted to do something substantial with Simon. And so, it was me going, ‘would you please, please, do this with me?’ And he was at a time in his life when he could make decisions to be away from home and do things that took his fancy, and so it was kind of kismet. He said yes to me.”
Is there more to their relationship?
Despite their close interactions, it seems that Nicole and Simon’s bond is more likely platonic than romantic. Nicole is the godmother to Simon and Rebecca’s son, Harry. When discussing their characters in Scarpetta, Simon described kissing Nicole as “kind of strange” due to their long-time friendship.
Speaking to Woman’s Day, he explained, “I think any awkwardness about the friendship is quickly pushed aside. That’s the great thing about our job. We don’t spend time over-analysing things — we just get on with it, throw everything into the pot and see what we can make of it.” On the kiss being “strange,” he added, “I think the first time we did it, we both sort of went, ‘OK, whatever.’”
Nicole then shared that they’ve “kissed on the cheek” before, “hugged a lot,” and even lived in the same house. She said, “The woman I grew up with, he was married to for a substantial part of his life, 29 years, so we are just the same person.”
Has there been any response?
Simon’s ex, Rebecca, is reportedly “shocked and confused” by the rumours. An insider told New Idea magazine that Rebecca loves Nicole “like a sister.” They added, “They’ve been through so much over the years, so it’s extremely shocking for her to get her head around this.”
The source continued, claiming that Rebecca has been “totally in the dark about Nicole and Simon’s current status.” Referring to the Scarpetta premiere, they added that “a lot of their mutual friends assume their hand-holding was a cheesy stunt for the show.”
However, because Nicole and Simon are reportedly “evading questions about their status” and “spending all this cosy time together,” it’s giving the rumours “a lot more validity to the notion that they have turned romantic.”
The insider concluded that, even though Simon and Rebecca split “many years ago,” they’re on good terms. “They’re still co-raising their kids and pride themselves on having a totally transparent relationship.”
