Nicole Kidman has finally cleared the air about those iconic 2001 photos that the internet has been treating like a holy relic of post-divorce glow-ups. You know the ones—Nicole in the streets, arms outstretched, looking like she just aced her finals, won the lottery, and discovered free guac wasn’t extra, all at once. For years, the world has believed these were snapped as she sashayed out of her lawyer’s office after officially breaking up with Tom Cruise.
The legend even inspired memes galore, like the timeless classic: “Live every day like you’re 2001 Nicole Kidman leaving her lawyer’s office after divorcing Tom Cruise.” Goals, right?
Well, hold on to your gossip hats because Nicole just dropped a truth bomb that’s about as anticlimactic as discovering your “champagne” is sparkling apple juice.
“That wasn’t real life. That was from a film,” she revealed to British GQ, effectively shattering the illusion that she strutted out of her lawyer’s office like a victorious gladiator. “I know that image!” she added, like someone finally figuring out why their picture is on a dartboard.
When the interviewer tried to cling to the dream and brought up how the photos are thought to show her post-divorce bliss, Nicole shut it down faster than a teenager being asked about their TikTok account. “That’s not true,” she said.
Oh, and about that other photo—the one where she’s clapping like her hands just met their soulmate? Turns out, that too had a mundane explanation: “I had this massive, heavy borrowed ring on, and I was scared of wrecking the jewelry.” Yes, she wasn’t enthusiastically applauding life; she was just trying not to send some poor jeweler into cardiac arrest.
Nicole Kidman’s “divorce celebration” moment wasn’t a triumphant Eat, Pray, Love kickoff—it was acting. The memes might be based on a misunderstanding, but hey, the vibes? Still immaculate.
