The Australian stars have been married for 18 years

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have been married for 18 years – but it was touch and go in the beginning. 

The country singer, 56, admitted that he once almost ruined their marriage in an emotional confession while paying tribute to his wife at the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute in April. 

While the ceremony was a private affair at the time, it was broadcast on television this week. 

Keith admitted to the star-studded room that just a few months after they exchanged vows, his addictions almost "blew" their marriage apart. 

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Keith has been open about his sobriety following his drug and alcohol struggles, but it was with Nicole's support that he finally got sober. 

Marriage confession

"We got married in 2006, and barely four months into our marriage, the addictions that I had done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens," he began. 

"Four months into a marriage, and I'm in rehab for three months with no idea what was going to happen to us." 

He added: "Nic pushed through every negative voice – I'm sure even some of her own – and she chose love. And here we are tonight 18 years later. Her capacity to love is like no one I've ever met." 

Nicole was overcome with emotion listening to his words and was seen wiping a tear from her eye.

Rehab

Keith had already been in rehab twice before the couple got married in June 2006, and after he relapsed again when they were newlyweds, Nicole staged an intervention. 

He has spoken about that period in his life previously, telling Rolling Stone in 2016: "I caused the implosion of my fresh marriage. 

"It survived, but it's a miracle it did. I was spiritually awoken with her. I use the expression, 'I was born into her,' and that’s how I feel. And for the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction." 

Addictions

In another interview with the magazine in 2021, Keith confessed that it took him "a long time to get sober" because he didn't "recognize" his alcoholism. 

"I didn't drink like my dad, so I compared everything to him,' he recalled. 

"But I was able to finally make the right choice in my life, that I wish my dad [Robert Urban, who died in 2015,] would have made." 

While Keith feared that his marriage would end over his alcohol and drug problem, Nicole was adamant that they could get through it together. 

But that's not to say it was an easy journey; she also admitted they were in a "painful place" and had to work through it. 

Nicole's support

Opening up about the first few months of their marriage, the Big Little Lies star told Vanity Fair in 2007: "I'm more than willing to walk it with him. The two of us are very committed to our relationship. 

"But it was painful, deeply painful."

She continued: "We were in a very, very, very bad, painful place, and have managed to step through it, and I hope that gives some people some hope who may be in the same place." 

Nicole added: "And that's enough said. Anything else is overindulgent and unnecessary right now. And I think it jinxes it, in a way, and that's why I don't go on about my enormous feelings for this man."

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