Fans of Keith Urban have recently discovered a clip that appears to show the country star altering the lyrics of a song, with some speculating the change may reference his estranged wife, Nicole Kidman, ahead of their announced separation.
On September 30, it was reported that Nicole Kidman, the Australian actress, filed for divorce from Keith Urban, who was born in New Zealand, after nearly two decades of marriage. Kidman, 58, and Urban, 57, married in 2006 after dating for a year and share two children, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
The divorce filing, accessed by People, indicates the reason for separation as irreconcilable differences between the actress and the musician, who has won four Grammy awards.
The legal documents outline the dissolution of their marriage along with a childcare plan, which the couple has agreed upon and are awaiting a judge’s approval.
Fans curious about the couple’s split have been trawling the internet for clues and stumbled upon a video of Urban performing his song, “The Fighter.”
The clip, which has gained viral attention, was shared by Urban’s guitarist, Maggie Baugh, on Instagram. Urban can be heard altering a lyric to say: “When they’re tryna’ get to you, Maggie I’ll be your guitar player.”
The original lyrics, from the 2017 release, are: “When they’re tryna get to you, baby, I’ll be the fighter.”
This change sparked debates among fans, with one remarking: “It is so trashy to do this to a song inspired by his wife. It’s the ultimate ick.”
Another added: “Show some class Keith for goodness sake!”
However, not everyone was quick to judge Urban, as a third person commented: “So much judgment here. unless you are living with these two, you have absolutely no idea what went on behind closed doors everyone trashing Keith.
“How do you know what she was like to live with? I’m not taking sides here but it’s not fair to trash someone for their choices when none of you have any idea at all what their life was like behind closed doors.”
In an interview with The Boot, Urban revealed that “The Fighter” was inspired by the early dynamic of his relationship with Kidman.
He recounted: “I was working with Busbee that day; we were in London. I was actually driving to the studio to work on this other song we started, and I had most of the chorus in my head, and it felt like I had most of the song in my head — the verses just had to flesh out. I walked into the studio and played the chord progression, and he built this track really quickly, and then I could sing over the top of it. It was just a very quick, quick song to write, because I literally thought about Nic and I and our relationship in the beginning, and some of the things we had said all went into that song.”
In another discussion with Billboard, Urban mentioned that the song, which features Carrie Underwood, expressed a desire to ‘heal’ and ‘take care of somebody.’
He said: “It’s really like a vow in so many ways. I want that tenderness to not have to get hardened to the world. That’s my job as her husband, to put myself around her so she can remain that way. And that’s really the chorus of The Fighter.”
Details regarding Kidman and Urban’s divorce remain largely undisclosed, including how they will divide their properties and their substantial net worths of $250 million and $75 million, respectively.
Reports suggest that Kidman might owe Urban over $11 million due to a clause in their prenuptial agreement concerning sobriety, which could entitle Urban to $600,000 for each year of their marriage if he stayed sober.
Urban has previously spoken about his battles with substance abuse, revealing in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey that Kidman intervened to help him shortly after their marriage.
“Everything was just designed, I believe, for that moment to fuse us together,” he stated. “I look back now and realise Nic has taught me so much and brought so much into my life and opened my eyes in so many ways. [This is] the best place I’ve ever been.”