Nicole & Keith's rock-solid marriage: ‘IT'S A MIRACLE WE SURVIVED'

THEY FOUGHT HIS DEMONS TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE

- Judy Kean

It’s turned out to be a love story more romantic than any movie she’s ever starred in, or any song he’s ever written. But things could have worked out very differently for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, who are celebrating 15 years of wedded bliss this month.

Just four months after tying the knot in June 2006, Nicole realised Keith’s drug and alcohol use was out of control. So, she staged an intervention, with the assistance of several of his closest friends, to get the Kiwi-born country singer to seek help. Keith then spent three months in rehab at the Betty Ford Centre. It was a very difficult time, says Keith, and they might not be celebrating so many years of marriage now if he hadn’t been able to overcome his demons.

“I caused the implosion of my fresh marriage,” he admits. “It survived, but it’s a miracle it did.”

Meanwhile, Nicole says, “At some point, you just have to say, ‘I love you and I’m here when you decide to do the work. If you don’t, then that’s it.”

Keith attributes his success in rehab to his wife. “For the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction.

“Meeting Nic, and falling in love with Nic, and starting a relationship with Nic became – I realise now in hindsight – my sobriety. That was how I was able to keep it together.”

Nicole, who called off a press tour at the time to give her husband her full support, says she learned a lot about being in a relationship with someone on the path to recovery from an addiction. “I’m more than willing to walk it with him. The two of us are very committed to our relationship.”