Nicole Kidman slammed a reporter for a “sexist” question that compared her former marriage to Tom Cruise to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s relationship.
In a new interview with the Guardian about her latest film, “Being the Ricardos,” Kidman opened up about playing Ball, whose marriage to Arnaz ended after more than two decades but yielded great comedic work.
“It’s about a creative and romantic relationship that doesn’t work out. But from it come some extraordinary things. And I love that. I love that it’s not a happy ending,” Kidman said, referring to Ball filing for divorce from Arnaz in 1960.
“This film says you can make an extraordinary relationship thrive and leave remnants of it that exist forever. Yeah, that’s really gorgeous. You can’t make people behave how you want them to, and sometimes you’re going to fall in love with someone who isn’t going to be the person you spend the rest of your life with.”
Kidman, 54, described the “I Love Lucy” co-stars’ marriage as “very relatable,” adding, “You may have kids with them. You may not, but they were very much in love.”
In response, the reporter couldn’t help but wonder if the “Big Little Lies” star was referring to her 11-year marriage to Cruise in the ’90s. They share daughter Isabella, 29, and son Connor, 26.
“Oh, my God, no, no. Absolutely not,” Kidman replied. “No. I mean, that’s, honestly, so long ago that that isn’t in this equation. So, no.”
The “Being the Ricardos” star married Keith Urban in 2006.Getty ImagesThe Guardian noted the “Undoing” star, who has been married to Keith Urban since 2006 and shares daughters Sunday, 13, and Faith, 11, with him, was “angry” about the question.
“And I would ask not to be pigeonholed that way, either. It feels to me almost sexist, because I’m not sure anyone would say that to a man,” she said. “And at some point, you go, ‘Give me my life. In its own right.’”
