Nicole Kidman’s greatest role isn’t on the big or small screen. Instead, it’s being the best mom possible to her four children.
“I just always wanted a child,” Nicole, 56, told Vogue Australia in December 2017. “I think from a very early age, I wanted a child. I knew that I was going to have a child and that it didn’t matter [how], I actually didn’t know if I was ever going to give birth to a child. So that was the least of it for me. And what I did first was adopt.”
In 1993, the Big Little Lies actress became a mom for the first time when she and her first husband Tom Cruise adopted their daughter, Bella. A few years later, the pair adopted son Connor into their family.
After the couple divorced in 2001, Kidman went on to find love with country singer and fellow Australian Keith Urban. The pair married in 2016 and welcomed daughters Sunday and Faith.
“If it were the choice between my family and Keith, and my career, I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid,” she told The Australia Women’s Weekly in June 2014. “The most important things to me are the love of our relationship and my children. At this stage of my life, and with time being so precious, the joy I get from us as a family outweighs any joy in any other area of my life, by far.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about the members of Kidman’s family:
Bella Kidman Cruise, 31
Tom, 61, and Nicole adopted daughter Bella shortly after her birth in December 1992.
“From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies,” Nicole told Vanity Fair in 2007. “And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic. And that’s when we would adopt [our daughter] Bella.”
While she was raised outside of the spotlight, Bella graduated from West London’s Delmar Academy of Make-up and Hair, before transitioning to a career in fashion.
Although Bella has an active Instagram, followers shouldn’t expect her to share family moments. Instead, it’s primarily dedicated to her art.
“Her go-to medium was pen and paper for most of her life,” her website states. “However, she is now venturing into other formats and mediums. Including digital. Which has been a bit of a game changer in her opinion. We hope you dig it.”
Connor Cruise, 29
Nicole and Tom, who wed in 1990, adopted their second child just after his birth in January 1995. In 2008, Connor got a glimpse of the Hollywood spotlight when he starred alongside Will Smith in the drama Seven Pounds. As a teenager, he briefly explored DJ gigs and released a single before making Florida his home.
Although Nicole and Tom divorced six years after their wedding, the actress expressed gratitude for the relationship and the family they created. “I got married really fast and really young,” she told Who Magazine in 2012. “But I don’t regret that because it got me Bella and Connor and I did have a fantastic marriage for a long period.”
According to People, Connor currently resides in the Sunshine State where he fishes and focuses on his barbecuing business, Connor’s Meatshack. “Connor has a pretty simple life in Clearwater,” a source told the publication. “He lives in his own home in a Scientology community. His life is deep-sea fishing. He has a lot of friends and seems very well-liked.”
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, 15
Named in honor of the Australian patron of the arts, Sunday Reed, Sunday was born in July 2008 and spent much of her childhood with parents Nicole and Keith, 56, in Tennessee. “My daughters are Nashvillians! They have a southern drawl,” Nicole told People in 2016. “They have some Aussie. They have an unusual mix. They’re hybrids.”
Nicole has dropped hints that Sunday is interested in following in mom’s footsteps. In addition to showing an interest in directing, she’s also participated in theater.
“My daughter just got cast in her school play,” Nicole told E! News in January 2017. “So, that’s been the main priority, learning lines with her.”
And for those who wanted a season 3 of Big Little Lies, Sunday may be responsible for making it possible.
“She has a very good understanding of things and life, so she was hand-held through it,” Nicole revealed to Vogue Australia in January 2024. “She was like, ‘No. There’s no more discussion. The third series has to happen … I’m sick of the talk. Sick of circling it. Just get it done.’”
Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, 13
In December 2010, Nicole and Keith surprised fans when they welcomed Faith via gestational surrogate.
It wasn’t until April 2024, however, when Faith and her older sister made their red carpet debut at the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala, where their mom was the evening’s honoree.
In an interview with Today, Nicole expressed hopes that she was raising her daughters to be outspoken and strong. “So much is stepping aside and letting them become who they are,” she explained. “I don’t know if I’m teaching that as much as giving them their voices. I let them negotiate so they get a sense of who they are and what they can achieve and accomplish.”
