After news broke about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s divorce in September 2025, Nicole has spoken out about paving a brand new chapter for her life. Before presenting at the Oscars this week with her Moulin Rouge! co-star Ewan McGregor, the star recently wrapped filming for Practical Magic 2 and has begun publicity for the new book adaptation Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Amazon prime series Scarpetta.
However, it’s the latter project that has sparked rumours about the Aussie star’s potential love life developments.
From red carpet moments to insider comments, fans are talking more and more about Nicole’s potential new romance with none other than fellow Aussie and The Mentalist star Simon Baker.
Whether it’s a publicity stunt or not, these hints at the pair’s increased closeness are sure to hold a tad more weight for Keith than any other suitor would, given the tight-knit friendship the three stars have always had.
Here are four reasons fans think Nicole and Simon are dating:
The series that brought these Aussie legends together
The moment that tipped these romance rumours over the edge was a move made on the Scarpetta red carpet in New York.
Standing beside their co-stars, Nicole and Simon, who play husband and wife in Amazon’s new adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s book series, are pictured holding hands.
While this could be a simple moment of platonic support, especially since Nicole is known for showing this kind of physical affection with a lot of her friends and co-stars, Nicole, 58, and Simon, 56, were also spotted heading into the Scarpetta After Party side by side.
Page Six reported the pair and their co-star Jamie Lee Curtis were “deep in conversation” and “clearly enjoying each other’s company.”
Whether it’s just friends having a much-needed heart-to-heart or something more, it’s certainly got people talking.
An insider has revealed this to be Keith’s ‘worst nightmare’
On top of this press tour intimacy, an insider spoke to Woman’s Day about how this hand-hold is affecting her ex-husband Keith.
“Seeing Nicole and Simon holding hands was the equivalent of seeing his best mate with his missus, and it did a number on him,” the insider reportedly said. “He knew it was natural for her to lean on Simon – he was also there for Naomi Watts after her split from Liev [Schreiber].”
“The difference is, back then, Simon wasn’t single.”
The insider also spoke about how much “even the hint of romance between them will hurt [Keith].”
“Keith is hoping they’re just hamming it up for headlines, but even then it feels to him like it’s a betrayal,” the source said. “He already suspected they were getting close while filming. This has become his worst nightmare.”
Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker have a history
The two Aussie stars have known each other for decades, with a friendship spanning far beyond press junkets and red carpets.
Nicole is not only friends with Simon’s ex-wife Rebecca Rigg, 58, who once confessed the two women were like “the same person”, but Nicole is also the godmother to his son, Harry, 24.
In interviews for Scarpetta, Nicole has said that her and Simon’s chemistry “just vibrates”, while Simon has teased that he doesn’t “kiss and tell.”
Either way, the news of their potential romance has supposedly angered and shocked Keith, particularly with the news coming so soon after the pair’s divorce.
Nicole is starting to open up
After news of Nicole and Keith’s divorce last year, Nicole has recently opened up about the experience.
After admitting that she “was in [her] shell,” around the time of her divorce, she has recently confessed to The Sydney Morning Herald that she’s been “holding it steady”, and source told People she’s been spending “lots of time with her girls”.
Coming off her Oscars presenting gig, Nicole is certainly back in the limelight and embracing this new chapter, hinting that she perhaps is ready for a new romance as well.
Either way, time will only tell. For now, we have Nicole and Simon’s Scarpetta romance to absorb on screen while we wait and see if it manifests into off-camera.
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