In a story that has quietly broken hearts behind the glossy Hollywood façade, country music superstar Keith Urban is reportedly struggling with a fresh wave of heartbreak after his 17-year-old daughter Sunday Rose delivered an emotional tribute to her mother, Nicole Kidman, in a new magazine interview — without uttering a single word about him.

“He’s numb,” a close source told Australian outlet New Idea on Monday. “Keith is trying to put on the brave front he’s always been known for, but this one really cut deep. It’s like he doesn’t exist in her public narrative anymore.” The insider added that the Grammy winner, usually the picture of stoic resilience, has been “stumped” by the very public omission. “He knows co-parenting after divorce requires patience, but seeing it in black and white, splashed across a major magazine cover… that’s a different kind of pain.”

Representatives for both Urban and Kidman did not respond to requests for comment.

The moment that sparked the emotional ripple came in Sunday’s candid sit-down with Elle Australia, published earlier this month. The teenager — who is already dipping her toes into modeling and acting — spoke glowingly of her Oscar-winning mother as “my biggest inspiration in life” and “a key part of literally everything I do.” She went on to share the most valuable industry advice she’s ever received from Kidman: “Always be on time. It shows that you’re prepared and grateful to be there.”

Urban is mentioned only once — and almost in passing — in the story’s opening paragraph as “Sunday’s dad.” After that, the piece belongs entirely to Nicole. For a father who has always made it a point to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to his children’s privacy, the silence still stung.

Adding fuel to the fire, a second source close to the family revealed that Urban had recently surprised Sunday with a custom guitar engraved with lyrics from the first song he ever wrote for her as a baby — a private gesture he hoped might spark a father-daughter music moment. According to the insider, the gift was received warmly in private, yet the public interview made him feel “erased from the story of her success.”

Urban, 58, and Kidman, 57, share two daughters: Sunday, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15. The couple’s 19-year marriage came to an end last year after months of whispered speculation. Their divorce was officially finalized in January, with Urban granted every-other-weekend custody while Kidman holds primary physical custody the rest of the time.

Kidman herself addressed the split for the first time last week in a poignant Variety interview. “I’m always going to be moving toward what’s good,” she said softly. “What I’m grateful for is my family and keeping them as is and moving forward. That’s that. Everything else I don’t discuss out of respect. I’m staying in a place of, ‘We are a family,’ and that’s what we’ll continue to be.”

Behind the carefully worded statements, however, friends say the emotional reality for Urban has been far messier. One confidant described him retreating to his Nashville studio for days at a time after reading Sunday’s interview, pouring late nights into new material that insiders claim carries an unmistakable undercurrent of quiet longing. “He’s not angry,” the friend insisted. “He’s just… sad. He always said the girls would come first, no matter what. Seeing one of them shine so brightly while his role feels invisible — it’s a tough pill.”

Divorce experts watching the situation from afar note that this kind of public “parental erasure” is surprisingly common in high-profile splits, especially when one parent’s star power eclipses the other’s. “Kids often gravitate toward the parent who provides daily stability,” said Dr. Elena Ramirez, a family psychologist specializing in celebrity families. “That doesn’t mean the other parent is less loved — it just means the narrative gets shaped by who’s in the room every day.”

For now, Urban is said to be focusing on the upcoming weekends he does have with Sunday and Faith, reportedly planning a low-key camping trip in the Australian outback — a nod to the country roots he wants to pass on. Whether that private time can heal the very public slight remains to be seen.

In the glittering world of celebrity co-parenting, where every interview and Instagram post becomes a headline, Keith Urban has learned the hardest lesson of all: sometimes the loudest silence comes from the people you love most.