Nicole Kidman’s Life ‘Collapsed’ in Hollywood After Her Divorce to Tom Cruise: “People Ran From Me…”

Nicole Kidman’s journey through Hollywood is one of survival and transformation. Her marriage to Tom Cruise , which started in 1990, seemed like a fairytale that rather quickly turned complicated. Kidman faced a challenging period after their divorce was finalized in 2001, a time that tested her professional and personal strength. In a candid interview with Vanity Fair , Kidman spoke of the brutal reality of her post-divorce experience: “My life collapsed. People ran from me because suddenly it was ‘Oh, my God! It’s over for her now!'” The sudden change in her professional landscape was heartbreaking; she felt marginalized and unsure whether she would ever work again.

Kidman said her marriage overshadowed her when she was starting out. “I felt I didn’t deserve to be there in my own right,” she stated, “throughout, I wasn’t there as Nicole—I was there as Tom’s wife.” Surprisingly, the divorce proved to be a turning point in her career. Kidman found unexpected strength in her professional pursuits. She once told The Telegraph : “Out of my divorce came work that was applauded… I was holding a gold statue and I was the loneliest I’d ever been,” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. More than a professional milestone, it was a personal transformation. Despite the external challenges, Kidman rebuilt her career piece by piece and established herself as an accomplished actress in her own way.

The actress has been open about the emotional toll her divorce took on her. She has talked about feelings of depression and disassociation from herself in many interviews. Although Cruise had said, ‘Nicole knows why,’ Kidman revealed that she was shocked and struggled to accept the divorce because it was not her decision. The actress shared that she had suffered miscarriages and pleaded with Cruise to save their marriage; however, he ultimately chose to leave. “I thought our life together was perfect,” the actress said during her interview with DuJour Magazine in 2012. “It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system.” In the same interview, she stated, “I realized I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted to fall in love again, but I wasn’t sure I could.”

Recently, speculation arose that Cruise might attempt to reconnect with his ex-wife. According to Hello! , the actor can be involved in the sequel to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) action drama Days of Thunder . The 1990 film that launched him as an action star also introduced him to his future wife, Kidman, who co-starred in the movie.