Keith Urban Opens Up About His Relapses: “Recovery Is a Daily Choice”

Keith Urban may be celebrated today as a global country music star, a devoted husband to Nicole Kidman, and a proud father — but his path to stability and purpose was far from easy. In a deeply personal reflection, he revealed a painful truth: his battle with addiction led to three relapses, each more dangerous than the last.

Life Behind the Spotlight

While audiences saw the chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and award show performances, Urban says they didn’t see the struggle he fought offstage. His words were direct: “People saw the success, the guitars, the hits. What they didn’t see was the chaos backstage — or the shame I was carrying.”

Urban admitted that at one point, he was rarely sober. His first attempt to stop drinking came before his solo career fully took off in the late ’90s. He believed he was in control — but occasional “celebration nights” quickly led him back into harmful habits.

Fame and Isolation

The second relapse came during the height of his early stardom. As his songs topped the charts, Urban was performing for massive audiences, then returning alone to hotel rooms, overwhelmed and lost. “I was on TV smiling. But privately, I was struggling,” he said.

The Turning Point: Love and Intervention

His third relapse — and perhaps the most serious — occurred just months after marrying Nicole Kidman in 2006. Urban says that moment forced him to confront what he stood to lose. “I had this incredible woman who believed in me — and I was destroying it,” he said.

Kidman, along with close friends, arranged an intervention. Rather than criticism, she offered hope. “She didn’t shame me,” Urban shared. “She just said, ‘You can do this — but you have to want it.’” He entered treatment again, this time at the Betty Ford Center — and he has remained sober ever since.

Choosing Light Over Darkness

Urban describes recovery not as a finish line but as a commitment that must be renewed each day. “Recovery isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a daily choice,” he said. Through family support, music, and a renewed sense of purpose, he rebuilt his life step by step.

A Message of Strength and Hope

Now, nearly two decades into sobriety, Urban uses his story to encourage others facing similar challenges. His message is simple and powerful: “You’re not weak because you fell. You’re strong when you stand back up — even if it takes you three times.”

Every time he takes the stage today, Keith Urban isn’t just entertaining — he’s honoring the resilience it took to reclaim his life.