Why Nicole Kidman wants to end the taboo around sex

Nicole Kidman has said sex should no longer be taboo in her first interview since she filed for divorce.

The Hollywood star recently separated from Keith Urban, her husband of 19 years, amid reported rumours of her “bottomless need for sexual attention” being a problem.

Kidman has appeared in several sexually charged roles during her career, including the erotic drama Eyes Wide Shut, alongside Tom Cruise, her then husband.

The 58-year-old actress suggested that society needed to be more open about sex. Speaking to Vogue, she said: “Sex is an important part of our lives and is still, a lot of times, taboo – and it shouldn’t be.”

Kidman’s racy roles have also included a 1998 run of The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse, during which she appeared on stage naked. Most recently, she starred in the 2024 erotic thriller Babygirl, about a woman who has an affair with a much younger man.

The actress said she did not know what had repeatedly drawn her to these roles, describing the mystery of her motivations as “weird”.

While she has not shied away from sexualised roles, she said roles for women did not revolve around “the Madonna-whore any more”, especially with the rise of female-run production companies.

The news that Kidman has split up with Urban has caused much speculation in Hollywood. Sources told TMZ it was Urban’s decision.

The pair were introduced by the actor Geoffrey Rush, a fellow Australian, in January 2005, and were married the following year. They have two daughters together.

In 2009, Kidman spoke to Access Hollywood about her marriage, saying: “I want to be in love for the rest of my life. I want to be an old woman still married to Keith, and looking back going, ‘What a lovely, lovely journey together.’”

The Telegraph, London

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