The ‘c**aine clause’ could mean Keith Urban makes millions from his divorce from Nicole Kidman.
The couple’s surprise separation after 19 years of marriage has shocked Hollywood and their global fanbase.
But behind the smiles and red-carpet appearances, a carefully written prenuptial agreement may now shape how their split plays out financially – particularly a little-known condition nicknamed the ‘Co**ine Clause.’
The pair met in 2005 at the G’Day USA Gala in Los Angeles and quickly became one of Australia’s most beloved power couples.
They wed the following year in Sydney, later building a family with daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
Throughout their nearly two decades together, Kidman and Urban amassed an impressive property empire worth a reported $282 million, including homes in Nashville, Sydney, Beverly Hills, and London, MailOnline reports.
Despite the glamorous exterior, sources close to the couple say strains intensified after the death of Kidman’s mother in late 2024, with the two gradually living separate lives.
Urban has reportedly been based largely on tour while Kidman stayed in London for filming commitments.
Their last public appearance together in June 2025 at a FIFA Club World Cup match was telling – body language experts noted a lack of affection and visible tension, Hello reports.
Urban has long been candid about his struggles with substance abuse. Just months into their marriage, Kidman staged an intervention that saw him check into rehab for three months.
The country star later admitted he wasn’t in any kind of recovery program at the time, and credited Kidman’s persistence and love for saving both his career and their marriage.
“I was like, ‘Put the cuffs on, let’s go,’” Urban told Oprah Winfrey in 2010, per the Standard, describing the intervention. “It was the moment that turned my life around.”
That turnaround became crucial not just for his health and family – but also, as it turns out, for his financial future.
According to reports, Kidman and Urban’s prenuptial agreement contained a unique provision designed to protect Kidman while incentivizing Urban to remain sober.
Dubbed the ‘C**aine Clause,’ the deal awarded Urban a substantial sum (between $600,000 and $900,000 for every year of marriage) provided he stayed free from drugs and alcohol.
With 19 years of marriage behind them and no public relapses reported since his 2006 rehab stint, Urban could now walk away with as much as $17 million thanks to this clause alone.
It’s a remarkable twist: a condition originally intended as a safeguard against Urban’s past addictions may now serve as a financial windfall in their divorce.
Court filings show Kidman will be the primary residential parent for the couple’s daughters, while both stars will maintain joint custody.
Neither will seek spousal or child support, given their independent fortunes.
Still, the resurfacing of the ‘C**aine Clause’ could mean that his commitment to sobriety, backed by Kidman’s early intervention, may now bring him one of the most unexpected paydays of his career.
