Keith Urban, 53, stepped in to protect his wife Nicole Kidman, 53, immediately after a man allegedly made an unwelcomed move on her at Sydney Opera House last month. The singer first exchanged words with the man, who was sitting behind him and the actress, after he got annoyed at them for standing up to clap at the end of a performance of Merry Widow, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Although Keith apparently explained that he and Nicole were giving the show a standing ovation to show their appreciation, the man went on to “swat” Nicole with his program, the outlet further reported.
The action reportedly made Keith accuse the man of assaulting the Cold Mountain star and he quickly summoned his security to escort him, Nicole, and Nicole’s mother, Janelle, who was also with them, out of the Opera House. Opera House security then went on to escort the man out, the outlet said.
The effects of the incident didn’t end there either. Nicole was reportedly visibly upset by the situation and someone ended up calling the police on the man. Sydney City Police Area Command were called to the Opera House that night after complaints about an argument, police media confirmed to The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Police have been told a 53-year-old man and a 67-year-old man were both attending the entertainment centre when an argument broke out. Officers spoke to both men and no further action was taken,” NSW Police reportedly told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Once the drama calmed down, Opera Australia boss Lyndon Terracini took both Nicole and Keith to the back of the house and through a safe stage door so they could pose with the show’s star Virgilio Marino. The two looked relaxed while posing with face masks in a photograph that Lyndon shared.
Although standing up at the opera used to be considered rude years ago, times have since changed and it’s now considered less taboo. Nicole and Keith attended the opera after the former completed her mandatory quarantine when she got back to the “Land Down Under” from Ireland, where she was filming Robert Eggers‘ project with Ethan Hawke and Alexander Skarsgard.
HollywoodLife has reached out to both Keith and Nicole’s reps about this story but we have yet to receive a response.