Nicole Kidman Denies Viral Meme Is Actually About Tom Cruise Divorce

Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise. Getty Images(2)

Nicole Kidman is setting the record straight about a memed photo of her from 2001 that was widely believed to be about her divorce from Tom Cruise.

When asked by GQ in an interview published on Monday, November 18, whether the rumors hold any weight, Kidman denied the speculation. “That’s not true,” she said with a laugh.

In the photo, Kidman walked down the street in a pink shirt with her eyes closed and arms stretched wide. Her mouth hung open as if she were relieved.

“That was not me; that was from a film, that wasn’t real life. I know that image!” she told the outlet, without naming the movie she was referring to.

Kidman and Cruise married in December 1990 after meeting earlier that year while filming Tony Scott’s Days of Thunder. The twosome adopted Isabella and Connor in 1992 and 1995, respectively, before splitting in 2001 — the same year the picture was taken. After briefly getting engaged to Lenny Kravitz in 2003, Kidman exchanged vows with Keith Urban in 2006. The pair share daughters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith, 13.

Through the years, Kidman has been the center of several memes. In one particular viral video, Kidman clapped with her fingers backward — but the actress explained there was a reason behind that.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

“’Cause I had a massive heavy borrowed ring on and it was really painful, and I was scared of wrecking the jewelry,” she told the outlet on Monday. “Ha! There’s always something behind the actual images that go out there, right?”

There’s also her AMC ad where she encourages viewers to “get back to the movies” that has been memed.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “‘Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.’ But I’ll do anything for cinema, so you can meme me as much as you want.”

While discussing her meme-worthy moments, Kidman also got candid about morality and grief. The Babygirl actress explained that her emotions are “even more” close to the surface in her 50s.

While describing some of the things she feels now, Kidman said, “Mortality. Connection. Life coming and hitting you.”

Kidman’s mother, Janella, died in September at the age of 84. The actress left the Venice International Film Festival early to return to her home in Australia.

“And [the] loss of parents and raising children and marriage and all of the things that go into making you a fully sentient human. I’m in all of those places. So life is, whew. It’s definitely a journey,” she continued. “And it hits you as you get older how … it’s a wake up at 3 a.m. crying and gasping kind of thing. If you’re in it and not numbing yourself to it. And I’m in it. Fully in it.”