Keith Urban 'drops Nicole Kidman-inspired song from tour' amid shock divorce

Keith Urban has reportedly quietly removed a song thought to be inspired by estranged wife Nicole Kidman from his live performances, as he continues his High and Alive World Tour in the wake of their surprise split.

The 57-year-old country music star was back on stage for the first time since news of the couple’s divorce broke, performing at the Giant Centre in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night. But noticeably absent from his setlist was The Fighter, a 2016 hit which he had previously described as being written for Kidman. Urban had regularly performed the track during past tours, with the lyrics including, “When they’re tryna get to you, baby I’ll be the fighter,” which fans had long linked to his Oscar-winning wife, according to reports.

A viral video recently showed Urban changing the lyrics of The Fighter to include fiddle player Maggie Baugh’s name, singing, “Maggie, I’ll be your fighter.” Baugh, a member of his touring band, reposted the clip with the caption, “Did he just say that,” sparking rumours of a possible romance.

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During Thursday’s show, he also altered lyrics in his 2004 breakup hit You'll Think of Me, swapping “Take your space and take your reasons” for “Take your bulls* reasons,”* according to Us Weekly.

Urban performed without his wedding ring, and his High and Alive World Tour is set to conclude on October 17 in Nashville. It comes after Nicole filed for divorce from the singer, ending their marriage after nearly two decades. The Oscar-winning actress, 58, petitioned in a Nashville court on Tuesday, citing that the marriage had “suffered irreconcilable differences.”

The couple, who married in Sydney in 2006 after meeting at a Los Angeles event in 2005, share two daughters, aged 17 and 14.

The divorce documents include a detailed parenting plan, with Kidman set to be the primary residential parent for 306 days of the year. Urban will have the remaining 59. The filing states both girls will remain in Nashville, where they’ve lived their whole lives.

“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,” the agreement reads.

“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.”

Reports claim that neither will seek child or spousal support, with the filing noting both earn over $100,000 per month. Assets, including royalties and copyrights, will be split equally, with each keeping what is in their name.

The parenting agreement was signed by Urban on August 29 and by Kidman on September 6 - suggesting the split had been planned well before it became public. Under Tennessee law, the divorce will take at least 90 days to be finalised.

This was Urban’s first marriage and Kidman’s second. She was previously married to Tom Cruise, with whom she shares two older children.

Just last year, at a Netflix premiere, Kidman told the Associated Press, “You’re heading for trouble if you consider yourselves the perfect couple. I’m not a believer in perfect.”

Earlier that year, Urban emotionally paid tribute to Kidman at the AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony, saying, “Four months into our marriage, I’m in rehab for three months. Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own, and she chose love. And here we are 18 years later.”

Kidman is known for acclaimed roles in Moulin Rouge, The Hours, and HBO’s Big Little Lies, while Urban has been a major country music star since the 1990s, winning four Grammys and over a dozen ACM Awards.

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