Nicole Kidman made her last Oscar appearance in history as she prepared to leave Los Angeles on Monday, amid claims that her ex-husband Tom Cruise boycotted the ceremony because she was there.
The Aussie actress wore a pink T-shirt and loose-fitting white jeans as she boarded a private jet with country star Keith Urban – her second husband.
The pair were accompanied by a pilot as they transferred their belongings from the back of a car into the plane’s fuselage before finally boarding.
Less than 24 hours earlier, 55-year-old Kidman made a rather glamorous appearance at LA’s Dolby Theater where she joined a star-studded guest list at the 95th Annual Academy Awards.
With a team of assistants awkwardly watching from the sidelines, the actress was seen sharing a lengthy red carpet kiss with Urban, 55, while posing for photographers outside the venue.
She’s gone: Nicole Kidman made her last Oscar appearance in history as she prepared to leave Los Angeles aboard a private jet on Monday
In good company: Nicole was joined by country star Keith Urban – her second husband
Smitten: Less than 24 hours ago, Kidman and Urban made a slightly more glamorous appearance at the 95th Annual Academy Awards
But their very obvious participation was overshadowed by the surprise absence of Cruise, Kidman’s ex-husband and Hollywood golden boy, after he “saved the industry” with the release of runaway hit Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise’s film – a sequel to the 1987 box office hit Top Gun – was nominated for six awards, including the coveted Best Picture award.
But insiders said the actor wasn’t at the ceremony because his ex-wife was there – following their bitter divorce over 20 years ago.
Cruise and Kidman split in 2001, reportedly because she refused to join him in the Church of Scientology.
A source told : “Tom wasn’t there because she was there and he didn’t want a clash.”
Helping hand: The couple were accompanied by a pilot as they wheeled their belongings from the back of a car into the fuselage of the plane before finally boarding
Nothing against it: But Urban was hard to miss as he loitered behind the wheel of her car on Monday
Let’s go: A casually dressed Kidman was spotted boarding the plane of her departure from LA
However, sources close to Cruise claimed his absence was “not personal” and was nothing more than scheduling difficulties, though they didn’t specifically respond to claims that it was related to Kidman’s presence.
Kidman — who walked the Oscars red carpet with her husband, the country singer, before packing a serious PDA during the show — was notably absent from an Oscars luncheon attended by her ex-Scientologist last month.
Cruise was seen hugging Steven Spielberg over lunch on February 13, when the director could be heard on video telling the action star Maverick “saved Hollywood’s ass” by getting audiences back to theaters .
His ex-wife, with whom he shares two children – Connor, 28, and Isabella, 30 – was notably absent from the event.
Closing: The actress shared a long red carpet kiss with Urban at the Oscars on Sunday
Happier times: Cruise and Kidman (pictured in 1992) divorced in 2001 after 12 years of marriage amid rumors his engagement to Scientology was driving a wedge between them
Oscar winners 2023: AT A GLANCE
Best Picture: Everything everywhere at once
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh – All at once
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser – The Whale
Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis – All at Once
Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan – All at Once
Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – All at once
Best Screenplay (Original Screenplay): Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – All at once
Best Screenplay (Adapted Screenplay): Sarah Polley – Women Talking
Best Animated Feature Film: Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro
Best International Feature Film: All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Documentary: Navalny
Best Film Editor: Paul Rogers – All at once
Best Music (Original Song): “Naatu Naatu” by RRR
Best Sound: Top Gun: Maverick
Best Visual Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water
Kidman met Cruise in 1990 when the two were cast together in Days of Thunder, a film about motor racing.
She was 23 at the time and unknown in Hollywood as an Australian. That all changed when the stars struck up a real-life romance during filming.
After 12 years of marriage, Cruise left his wife in 2001, leaving her in “complete shock.” He filed for divorce that same year, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Reportedly, the real reason he left her was her refusal to join the Church of Scientology.
In 2012, Kidman opened up about her painful breakup with Cruise in an interview with DuJour Magazine.
Success: Thirty years after the original film, Top Gun: Maverick was about Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In the film, he had to contend with ghosts from his past
Epic ending: A photographer captured this photo of Nicole leaving her law practice when her divorce from Tom was finalized in 2001
“I thought our life together was perfect. It took a long time for me to heal. It was a shock to my system,” she said.
“We were in a bubble, just the two of us. We became very dependent on each other. I was in a tizzy with Tom,” she told the outlet. “I would have gone to the ends of the earth for him…I was absolutely smitten – I fell madly and passionately in love.”
Looking back, she told the outlet that she was “naïve” to think that Cruise would be her happily ever after. She also said that she is “happier” than “ever”.
“I live in a friend’s house in Nice. I have my two daughters with me, Sunday Rose, who is four, and Faith Margaret, who is two,” Kidman gushed.
Kidman and Cruise have not been in contact for over a decade.
Previous: Kidman missed an Oscars luncheon attended by her ex-Scientologist last month (pictured: Tom Cruise at the event in Los Angeles)
Though Cruise was absent from the 2023 Oscars, if Maverick won the Best Picture award, producer Jerry Bruckheimer was expected to accept the award.
The film, starring Cruise, was nominated for Best Picture along with Elvis, Avatar: The Way of Water, All Quiet on The Western Front, and The Fabelmans. Everything, Everywhere All at Once won the category.
Cruise was not nominated for his performance in the film. Austin Butler was nominated for his role in Elvis and Bill Nighy for Living. Brendan Fraser won for his incredible performance in the film Whale.
Maverick was also nominated for writing (adapted screenplay), film editing, sound, visual effects and music (original song). The only award the film received was for sound.
Kidman was nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Actress and won the coveted gold trophy in 2002 for her amazing portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours.