Keith Urban to Oprah: "Nicole Saved Me"

Aussie country star credits Kidman's love for getting him into rehab and helping maintain his sobriety for four years

By Gina Serpe Nov 30, 2010 4:06 PMTags

Ryan Reynolds may be a lock as this year's Sexiest Man Alive, but surely Keith Urban can claim the title of Most Romantic.

After all, the Aussie country sensation seems to take every opportunity (including the opportunity par excellence, chatting with Oprah Winfrey) to credit wife Nicole Kidman with saving his life when they got married four years ago.

All together now: aww.

"My life had gotten to a complete unmanageability," he said on yesterday's Oprah Winfrey Show. "I got to that crossroads, and I said, 'I've been here before.'"

Urban ultimately entered treatment for substance abuse shortly after tying the knot with Kidman. As for what substances he was abusing…

"Everything," he said. "Alcohol and cocaine predominantly. It wouldn't have mattered what it was, it was a huge hole in my life that was gonna be filled by the right thing eventually, or it was always going to be the wrong thing.

"Love was what was missing in my life. Love for myself."

And he found that love—along with a different kind of love—with Nicole, who helped him successfully navigate the waters of rehab, his third stint in eight years, which has kept him sober for four years now.

"Absolutely," he said, when asked if Nicole saved him. "That's the point right there were she should've just walked.

"I'm just so glad she didn't, and she made a decision to turn around and initiate ultimately this intervention and it was done in such a way that the love in that room at that moment was just right. I was like,'P ut the cuffs on, let's go.'"

Urban said that it was Kidman, along with a small group of friends in Nashville, who staged his intervention.

"The minute I saw Nic…you can't do this for somebody, I couldn't do this just for her, but to see love in action to that degree at that time in that way, I've never experienced anything like that."

Urban said he left that night to begin his path to sobriety. And has yet to look back.