Keith Urban Changed Song Lyrics Inspired by Nicole Kidman Romance Before Breakup News

Keith Urban changed the lyrics of a song inspired by his relationship with Nicole Kidman to give a shoutout to his guitarist days before the Big Little Lies actress filed for divorce.

By Corinne Heller Oct 01, 2025 5:40 PM
| Updated Oct 01, 2025 5:55 PM
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Watch: Keith Urban Changed Song Lyrics Inspired by Nicole Kidman Romance Before Breakup News

Keith Urban took a little time to tweak his song.

Just days before Nicole Kidman and the country star’s breakup was confirmed, he made an eyebrow-raising change to the song "The Fighter," inspired by their relationship. And in this new version, Keith gave a pointed shoutout to touring guitarist Maggie Baugh, who was performing beside him.

While the song’s lyrics go, "When they're tryna get to you, baby I'll be the fighter," during the recent concert, per a video Maggie shared to Instagram Sept. 27, Keith instead sang, "When they're tryna get to you, Maggie, I'll be your guitar player."

As for how Maggie, 25, reacted to the onstage name drop? "Did Keith Urban just say that," she captioned the video, adding a "mind blown" emoji in the clip itself and an eyes emoji in the text of her post.

E! News has reached out to reps for Nicole and Keith as well as Maggie for comment but has not heard back.

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Keith Urban Awkwardly Avoided Nicole Kidman Marriage Praise Before Breakup

Keith, 57, had previously shared insight into how the 2016 track came together, admitting “The Fighter” stemmed from his and Nicole's first fragile days together in 2005.

"It was a very quick song to write because I literally just thought about Nic and I, and our relationship at the beginning and some of the things that we’d said," the now-57-year-old Keith, who wed Nicole in 2006, told People in 2017. "And they all went into that song."

However, the song of their love story reached its final note two decades years later.

Nicole—who shares daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14, with the "Somebody Like You" singer—filed for divorce Sept. 30, after, as E! News learned, separating over the summer. 

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Ahead of legally ending their marriage, the Oscar winner, 58, and her ex had already worked through a permanent parenting plan, which, per documents obtained by E! News, names Nicole and Keith as their children's joint custodians, though the Moulin Rouge! actress will be their primary residential parent. (The girls will live with her for 306 days out of the year and Keith 59 days.)

However, E! News learned that in the time leading up to their divorce, Nicole—who is mom to Bella Cruise, 32, and Connor Cruise, 30, with ex Tom Cruisehad been trying to save the marriage.

During their decades together she had previously detailed the effort she and Keith put into their marriage and how they made it work.

"We’re always working through stuff, but it’s very much love based, so there’s an enormous amount of give and take,” she explained to Harper’s Bazaar in 2021. "I want him to have the best life he can have, and he responds the same way."

For a full breakdown of Keith and Nicole’s shocking breakup, keep reading… 

Beginning of Summer 2025: Split

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban privately separated and started living apart at the beginning of summer, E! News learned. But there were many notable moments over the summer that ultimately led to their divorce filing.

May 22, 2025: Keith Urban Begins His Tour

His High and Alive World Tour kicked off in Alabama and he spent the summer traveling across the U.S., Canada and Australia.

June 20, 2025: Last Public Outing

The pair last appeared together publicly at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in Nashville, where they were seen laughing and smiling. 

June 25, 2025: 19th Wedding Anniversary

In honor of 19 years of marriage in June, Kidman posted a photo of the couple with the caption, "Happy Anniversary Baby." Urban commented a heart emoji but did not write a post of his own.

July 1, 2025: Keith Urban Walks Out of Interview After Nicole Kidman Question

The country singer raised eyebrows when he abruptly ended an interview after being asked about Kidman's onscreen chemistry with costar Zac Efron in A Family Affair.

“The first thing I thought of with your beautiful wife, Nicole Kidman, being on so many great movies, TV shows all the time,” a radio host said on Australia’s Mix 102.3’s Hayley & Max in the Morning. “What does Keith Urban think when he sees his beautiful wife with beautiful younger men like Zac Efron having these beautiful love scenes on TV and radio?”

Suddenly, Urban disappeared from the call.

“He's disconnected from Zoom,” a radio staffer said. “I think his team hung up on us because they didn't want us to ask that question.”

His rep didn't respond to E!'s request for comment at the time. 

July 24, 2025: It's Revealed That Nicole Kidman Applied for Residency in Portugal

E! News learned that the Practical Magic star had submitted application to become a resident of Portugal, with Urban preparing to do the same himself. 

“Keith was unable to be in Portugal for this appointment as he is currently on tour in the U.S.," a source with knowledge of the situation told E!, "and it is mandatory for applicants to be physically present in order to apply for the visa. He is scheduled to submit his application at a later date that works with his tour schedule."

At the time, the source said both planned to maintain a permanent residence in Nashville as well.

Aug. 6, 2025: Sunday Rose Shares Insight Into Family Life

The couple's eldest daughter Sunday Rose shed light on on their parenting dynamic in an interview, saying that "there are two big rules" at home.

"The first was that I couldn’t explore any kind of fashion work until I was 16," she told Nylon, "and the second is that school always has to come first, which at first I hated, but I am actually really glad that I have these rules in place because it keeps me in a good mindset."

Aug. 19, 2025: Keith Urban Not Pictured in Nicole Kidman's Family Photos

Kidman shared a look at her summer memories with her teens Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, but her husband was absent from the Instagram carousel.

"Summer memories," the actress wrote. "Now back to school."

Aug. 28, 2025: Nicole Kidman's Lawyer Prepares Parenting Plan

In August, her lawyer prepared a Child Support Worksheet included in a Parenting Plan stating that Kidman and Urban would be "joint custodians" of their teen daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

However, the Oscar winner was listed as the "primary residential parent," with the girls spending 306 days a year with their mother and 59 days with their father (Urban will have the children every other weekend.). 

Neither will pay child support, according to the doc obtained by E! News.

“The mother and father will behave with each other and each child so as to provide a loving, stable, consistent and nurturing relationship with the child even though they are divorced,” it stated. “They will not speak badly of each other or the members of the family of the other parent. They will encourage each child to continue to love the other parent and be comfortable in both families.”

Aug. 29, 2025: Keith Urban Signs Paperwork

Urban moved forward with their Marital Dissolution Agreement, getting it notorized in August, per the doc obtained by E! News.

The document said that Kidman would "institute divorce proceedings against" him due to irreconcilable differences. It also stated that neither party would be getting alimony or spousal support in their split.

The same date, he also signed off on the Parenting Plan.

Sept. 6, 2025: Nicole Kidman Signs Paperwork

A week after Urban, the actress had the Marital Dissolution Agreement notorized as well and signed the Parenting Plan.

The same day, a judge signed off on an order that both stars would complete a manditory parenting seminar unless they file for an exemption, per the doc obtained by E! News.

Sept. 25, 2025: Nicole Kidman Steps Out Still Wearing Wedding Ring

Despite signing the documents, she still wore her engagement ring during an event at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.

Sept. 29, 2025: News Breaks of Their Split

Their breakup made headlines as E! News confirmed that the pair—who started dating in 2005—had privately called it quits. 

Sept. 30, 2025: Nicole Kidman Files for Divorce

The Big Little Lies star officially filed to end their marriage, listing their date of separation as the date of filing: Sept. 30, 2025. 

Their Marital Dissolution Agreement and Parenting Plan were officially submitted the same day to be approved by a court in Tennessee.

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