To keep you in the loop, TMZ was the first to report the news, claiming that the couple — who share two teenage daughters — have been living apart since the start of summer. People later confirmed it with some added insight from a source close to Nicole, who said she “has been fighting to save the marriage” and “didn’t want this.”
Later that same day, People published another report claiming that those “close to Keith felt like the split was kind of inevitable.” The insider also said that it “really hasn’t been a secret” that the pair have “been living separately for a while.”
And now, amid speculation that Keith drove the separation, his previous comments about their marriage and past struggles as a couple are being re-examined online.
For context, the now-estranged couple met in 2005 and married the following year. And while giving an emotional speech honoring Nicole at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala in April 2024, Keith opened up about the difficulties they faced early in their marriage while he was navigating addiction struggles.
“We got married in June 2006 and barely four months into our marriage, my addictions that I’d done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens,” he said, recalling that four months after they tied the knot, he went to a rehab facility for three months.
Watching from the audience alongside their two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, Nicole was reduced to tears, mouthing “I love you” up to her husband on stage.
A bit later in the speech, Keith also recalled that when he and Nicole first met, she was reluctant to get into a relationship, assuring him that she didn’t need anyone and could care for herself. “I had to push through all of that to let her know that, ‘You don’t have to do all that anymore, Nic. I’m here, and I’m gonna love you through everything, and I mean everything,’” he remembered. “Even [through] the highs and lows of a long career…Trust me, those…highs and lows can come with some really dark energy and those dreaded 3 a.m. feelings of complete failure.”
The whole speech is pretty moving. You can watch it here and let me know what you think. As of right now, we don’t have any further details on the reason for Nicole and Keith’s split, but we’ve reached out to their representatives and will keep you posted with any updates.