While Nicole Kidman was married to Hollywood icon Tom Cruise for 11 years, have you ever wondered why she rarely ever brings up her ex-husband’s name in interviews? Granted, the two have moved on and are living separate lives, but surely when you spend over a decade with your significant other -- who you also share children with -- you’d find yourself mentioning their name every now and then, no?

The ex-couple famously tied the knot back in 1990 and while their romance was unlike any other, appearing to get stronger by the year, things came crashing down by 2001 when they decided to split and officially end their marriage.

What’s heartbreaking about Kidman’s relationship with Cruise is that there isn’t one. It’s understood that the exes don’t stay in contact, despite the fact that they adopted two children during their 11-year marriage — Connor and Isabella Jane Cruise — who remained with the Top Gun star after the divorce.

So, what exactly is going on between Kidman and Cruise, and why does she never mention her Scientologist ex-husband? Here’s the lowdown…

Nicole Kidman Addresses Tom Cruise

While she’s never really opened up on what had caused the surprise split between her and Cruise back in 2001, the last time Kidman spoke about her former flame was in a 2018 interview with The Observer.

The Australian actress kept things relatively short after being quizzed on whether she saw any notable similarities between her role as a Christian preacher’s wife in Boy Erased and her former marriage to a Scientologist.

RELATED: Everything We Know About Nicole Kidman & Melissa McCarthy’s Collaboration, ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’

“I have a husband now,” Kidman responded. “I feel out of respect for him I don’t want to talk about that. It has been 20 years. I have come to the point where I can say: ‘I am not going to keep discussing my ex.’ It’s nice for me to be able to say that, finally.”

She then went on to insist that there had been times in the past where she felt as if she had crossed the line with things she had revealed about her past relationship with Cruise, including why she doesn’t share any ties with Isabella or Connor.

While Kidman may not want to talk about these things, it seems perfectly normal to quiz the 53-year-old about Cruise — regardless of whether it’s been two decades since their split — since there are also kids involved who supposedly didn’t see much of the Aussie beauty after the divorce.

But that wasn’t because Kidman didn’t want to be around her kids. Allegedly, it had to do with Cruise’s deep-rooted Scientology beliefs, with some convinced that after the split, Kidman may have been banned from spending time with Connor and Isabella, which is why they grew up under Cruise’s care.

RELATED: Forgotten Facts About Tom Cruise And Penelope Cruz’s Relationship

“Nobody would sit at a dinner party and answer questions about their ex while their current partner is sitting there,” she continued. “It is disrespectful to Keith and to Tom. I would rather be a respectful woman. I have read stuff I have said in the past and thought: ‘Bloody hell, Nicole! Keep your mouth shut!’”

In a previous interview with WHO, the Bombshell actress did hint that she didn’t share the best relationship with Isabella and Connor, but as a mother, she said it was her duty to love her children regardless.

“I’m very private about all that. I have to protect all those relationships. I know 150 percent that I would give up my life for my children because it’s what my purpose is.

“They are adults. They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it’s my job to love them.”

She then continued to stress that both Isabella and Connor are unconditionally loved on her side, but she’s sure that they know that themselves.

"I am an example of that tolerance and that's what I believe – that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and I'm open here.”

RELATED: A Complete Timeline Of Naomi Watts’ And Nicole Kidman’s Friendship

It almost seems as if Kidman was trying to get a message out to her kids that even if they choose to make an exit from Scientology, they can also count on her to be by their side.

The whole situation is peculiar considering that since Cruise’s marriage with Katie Holmes ended in 2012, the Mission Impossible icon has barely spent any time with his 15-year-old daughter Suri, who relocated with her mother from LA to New York after the divorce.

It would definitely seem as if Scientology plays a part as to why Kidman doesn’t seem to be close to her kids with Cruise, but one can only hope that their relationship will strengthen in the future.

NEXT: What Keith Urban Has Said About Meeting His Wife, Nicole Kidman