Keith Urban reveals why ‘violence ensued’ at the opera

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman made news after a confrontation happened with another patron when they watched the opera in Australia in January, and in a new interview, the country superstar explains why another opera viewer was so upset that he “hit” Kidman with your program, causing a big scene.

The couple made headlines with the incident, which Urban says started innocently when they watched a performance of The cheerful widow at the Sydney Opera House. They stood up to applaud the performance, which drew the ire of another opera fan, like Today reports.

“We didn’t know you shouldn’t be at the opera,” said Urban to Kyle and Jackie The Show on Australia’s KIIS FM radio station. “We are sitting, we are with Nic’s mother and clapping. It was a great performance, it was so good, and I am looking around, and we are cheering and cheering, everyone is cheering, and I look around and see some people from standing, and a few more, and I said, ‘Oh, shit, I’m getting up.’ “

This turned out to be a violation of the protocol of the opera which attracted a quick rebuke.

“And I got up, and then this guy behind me just hit me, not me, Nic. She only got it right with a program, ”recalls Urban.

This provoked a furious response from the country star, who entered into a verbal altercation with the man. Urban’s security team ended up removing Urban, Kidman and his mother from the scene, as the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Kidman looked so visibly upset that someone ended up calling the police, but Urban laughs at the incident in retrospect.

“Violence at the opera followed,” he says. “It was a little difficult because you know, you’re a husband, you want to defend your wife, but I’m like, what the hell? It took a lot of restraint.”

The singer tried to deal with the other patron fairly, instead of going crazy, he adds.

“I think I just looked at him and said, ‘It’s a standing ovation’, as if I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to do it,” says Urban. “At the same time, I understand. I understand that there’s something going on where there’s a traditional thing that says you don’t do that. I respect that.”