In a move that’s ignited a firestorm of backlash, Keith Urban has drawn the ire of Nicole Kidman’s devoted supporters after footage surfaced from his recent concert, where the country star altered lyrics in a song originally dedicated to his estranged wife. The clip, which went viral on October 1, 2025, shows Urban, 57, serenading his 25-year-old guitarist Maggie Baugh with a personalized twist on his 2016 hit “The Fighter.” Changing the line “Nicole, you set me free from all of my sins” to “Maggie, you set me free from all of my sins,” Urban’s performance has been slammed as “tacky” and “disrespectful,” especially amid the couple’s recent split.
The video, captured at Urban’s Nashville show on September 28, quickly amassed over 2 million views on TikTok and X, sparking a torrent of outrage from Kidman loyalists. “Disgusting! How dare he drag a 25-year-old into his messy divorce drama?” one fan tweeted, while another fumed, “Nicole gave him 19 years, and this is how he repays her? By name-dropping his young bandmate?” The backlash has spilled over to Baugh’s social media, with thousands of comments branding her “the other woman” and urging her to “stay away from married men.” Baugh, a rising Nashville talent who joined Urban’s tour in 2024, has yet to respond, but her Instagram has been flooded with hate.
Urban and Kidman, married since 2006, announced their separation in June 2025 after nearly two decades together, citing “irreconcilable differences” in a joint statement. The Aussie actress, 58, has remained dignified, focusing on her Lioness role and upcoming projects, while Urban has been spotted with Baugh at multiple gigs. The lyric swap, performed just months after the split, has fueled speculation of an affair, with tabloids like The Sun dubbing it “Keith’s Cruel Serenade.” Fans point to the song’s original inspiration—Kidman’s support during Urban’s 2006 addiction battle—as adding salt to the wound.
Urban’s team dismissed the uproar as “misinterpreted fun,” insisting the change was a lighthearted tour tradition. “Keith adores Maggie as a musician; it’s all in good spirits,” a rep told People. But Kidman supporters aren’t buying it, launching #JusticeForNicole and petitioning for a boycott of Urban’s tour. “He’s erasing her from his legacy while she’s still alive,” one viral post read.
The incident highlights the perils of celebrity splits in the social media age, where private pain becomes public spectacle. As Urban prepares for his Las Vegas residency, the fallout could dent his image as country’s romantic crooner. For Kidman, ever the picture of grace, it’s a bitter footnote to a fairy-tale marriage. Will this lyric tweak be a fleeting scandal, or the spark that ends Urban’s “Fighter” era? One thing’s clear: Nicole’s army isn’t backing down.
