Nicole Kidman Crying on Shoulder of Hollywood's Most Unlikely Agony Uncle: 'He's Hardly the Warm and Fuzzy Type'

Russell Crowe has emerged as the unexpected emotional anchor for Nicole Kidman as the actress navigates the turmoil of her recent split from Keith Urban.

According to multiple sources close to the pair, Crowe has taken on the role of sounding board and steadying force, offering the kind of blunt, lived-in advice Kidman reportedly feels she can't find elsewhere in Hollywood.

Kidman, 58, confirmed her divorce from Urban, also 58, in September after months of speculation that the couple's 19-year marriage was under strain.

The separation came as she juggled a resurgent career, with last year's erotic thriller Babygirl winning acclaim and her legal drama Discretion setting off a streaming bidding war. The estranged couple's daughters – Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14 – have remained largely out of public view as the family adjusts to the split.

Urban, meanwhile, has acknowledged feeling "lonely" and "miserable" while on tour.

Against this backdrop, Crowe, 61, a fellow Australian and long-time friend, appears to have stepped into a quiet support role at a moment Kidman is said to be reeling.

One industry figure familiar with both stars said: "He understands exactly how devastating it is when a long marriage ends. He's lived through that heartbreak himself, so when Nicole leaned on him, he didn't hesitate. People think he's all hard edges, but with her he's showing a much softer side."

A second source, who has worked with Crowe, said: "He's been touching base with Nicole nearly every day, making sure she isn't retreating into herself. They caught up over coffee not long ago, and you could see he was trying to lift her spirits. He's hardly the warm and fuzzy type, but he's fiercely loyal to the people he considers his own."

Kidman and Crowe's friendship stretches back decades, bolstered by shared roots in the Australian film industry. They co-starred as a married couple in Boy Erased in 2018, and when Crowe was appointed President of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts in 2020, Kidman was named Vice President. Crowe famously once referred to her as "one of my favorite people in the universe."

While the pair are rarely photographed together, insiders describe a bond built on mutual respect between the pair – rather than Hollywood flash.

One acquaintance of Kidman's said: "She's holding it together in public, but behind closed doors there have been moments when it's all felt like too much. Russell has been one of the steady voices reminding her she's tougher than she realizes."

Crowe's advice for Kidman will no doubt be rooted in his own post-divorce upheaval following his 2012 split from Danielle Spencer after 15 years of marriage. The actors share two sons and remained amicable enough to hold a "divorce auction" of their belongings.

Crowe later spoke candidly about how the aftermath sent his life into a chaotic period. "To be completely truthfully honest with you, after my divorce was finalized, I became a f------ s---. I was f------ ridiculous, I had s--- going everywhere. You know the old saying, 'There's a girl in every port?'" he said last year.

Associates say Crowe has urged Kidman to throw herself into work rather than retreat. One source said: "He's convinced that staying occupied is what got him through his own lowest points, so he's been urging her to keep moving. He's even been passing along scripts he thinks might spark something for her."

Crowe has been in a relationship since 2020 with actress Britney Theriot, 42, and those close to the situation insist his bond with Kidman is strictly platonic.

A friend of both actors said: "There's nothing romantic in this whatsoever. He's simply helping an old friend steady herself. Nicole values his blunt honesty – he gives it to her straight, no softening, and that's exactly what she needs right now."