Nicole Kidman’s 2001 divorce from Tom Cruise has been a subject of much public fascination, and one iconic image of Kidman, which many fans believe represents her post-divorce glow, has recently stirred controversy. The image shows Kidman walking down the street with her arms raised in a gesture of apparent relief, which has been widely circulated as a meme with the notion that it captured a moment of freedom after her tumultuous marriage ended. However, Kidman has now set the record straight, claiming that the photo has been misunderstood and is, in fact, from a film shoot.
In an interview with GQ, Kidman addressed the viral image, clarifying, “That wasn’t me; it was from a film, not real life. I know that image!” Her statement shocked many fans, who had long believed the picture was an authentic, post-divorce paparazzi shot. The internet quickly erupted in disbelief, as Kidman’s explanation seemed both vague and unsatisfactory. Fans took to social media to voice their confusion, with some skeptics even claiming that Kidman was “lying” about the origins of the image.
One social media user wrote, “I just did a deep dive, and not only does she fail to specify the movie, but none of her countless fans have a single theory on what film it could be from. I feel confident concluding that she’s lying—it’s a post-divorce paparazzi shot.” Another chimed in with, “I searched everywhere. THIS IS NOT FROM A MOVIE.” Despite Kidman’s statement, there appears to be no concrete evidence that the outfit, consisting of a sheer patterned top and green capris, was worn by Kidman in any film.
The image has become meme gold over the years, often associated with Kidman’s personal life and her divorce from Cruise. Kidman herself had previously described the split as blindsiding and painful, but it seems that fans are reluctant to let go of the image’s perceived connection to her freedom from the marriage.
Some fans even doubted her explanation outright, saying, “I doubted it from the moment she gave that vague explanation,” while another remarked, “Oh please don’t ruin that for us.”