Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker threw some fans into a tizzy when they were seen holding hands at the New York premiere of their latest TV series, Scarpetta.
With rumors flying about a possible romance, others reveal the long-lasting friendship between Kidman and Baker, and how the rumors are impacting ex-husband Keith Urban.
Kidman and Baker Romance?
Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker held hands on the red carpet for Scarpetta.
Just hours later, the pair slipped into a star-studded after-party to celebrate the Patricia Cornwell book adaptation. According to fellow guests, the pair, along with co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, were “deep in conversation.”
One attendee shared, “The trio were spotted chatting together in a cosy corner of the dining room, deep in conversation and clearly enjoying each other’s company.”
Holding hands and long conversations have since sparked romance rumors between the two co-stars.
Keith Urban’s Reaction
Fans aren’t the only ones reacting to the possible romance between Kidman and Baker. Keith Urban is also reeling from the news.
An insider shared with Woman’s Day, “Seeing Nicole and Simon holding hands was the equivalent of seeing his best mate with his missus, and it did a number on him. He knew it was natural for her to lean on Simon – he was also there for Naomi Watts after her split from Liev [Schreiber]. The difference is, back then, Simon wasn’t single.”
“Keith is hoping they’re just hamming it up for headlines, but even then it feels to him like it’s a betrayal because both Nicole and Simon know how much even the hint of a romance between them will hurt him. He already suspected they were getting close while filming. This has become his worst nightmare.”
The insider added, “He hates that they’re giving interviews about how close they are. He’s in total shock that she would flaunt a new relationship so soon after their divorce. It’s not what they agreed on for the sake of the girls.”
Keith’s daughters, Sunday (17) and Faith (15), seem to be giving him the silent treatment since the split in September.
“Simon poses a real threat to Keith because the girls absolutely adore him,” the source states.
“He’s been like a fun uncle to them since they were babies. If Nicole’s starting a relationship with Simon, he needs to be told. Keith can see it impacting on his already fractured relationship with Sunday and Faith.”
The insider finished by saying, “Don’t discount how much seeing her hold another guy’s hand on the red carpet will affect him. He knows better than anyone how much Nicole used to lean on him in those moments – now she’s relying on Simon and it’s hard for him to see.”
Long-Lasting Friendship
Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker have known each other for decades. Kidman has been close friends with Simon’s ex-wife, Rebecca Rigg, for years. She is also the godmother to their son, Harry (24).
This connection between the pair was a driving factor in Kidman “begg[ing]” him to work with her on Scarpetta.
“We have known each other for a huge portion of our lives, so I’ve always wanted to do something substantial with Simon,” Kidman shared.
“And so, it was me going, would you please, please, do this with me? And he was at a time in his life when he could, when he could make decisions to be away from home and do things that took his fancy, and so it was kind of kismet.”
She added, “And he said yes to me.”
This isn’t the first time the pair have played a married couple. The last time was in the 2022 anthology Roar.
She later told The Daily Telegraph, “I think because of our history together, that’s in-built, so we didn’t have to work for that, that just vibrates.”
Simon Baker and Scarpetta
Simon Baker stars in Amazon’s Scarpetta as Benton Wesley. Wesley is an FBI profiler who is married to forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman.
Fans are excited to see Baker’s charm alongside Kidman’s heroine. It is their second time playing a married couple on screen. The first was in Roar, an anthology from Apple TV+.
During an interview, Baker commented on how Scarpetta brought him back into Hollywood. “I thought this was quite ambitious, and I think this is a richly layered show, and I’m curious to see how audiences respond to it because I think it’s quite good.”
He added, “I’m a bit snobby about TV stuff, which sounds interesting given I was on The Mentalist, which was sort of straight-up free-to-air fodder. But in this day and age, when shows like Chernobyl had come out, and you’ve got these great prestige series, I’m in for that, I’m all about that.”