Nicole Kidman says being married to Tom Cruise gave her “respect” in the movie industry

And after recently claiming that being married to the star came with its own level of "protection" that stopped her from being sexually harassed, she has now said that his “power” as a Hollywood icon is what allowed her to be “respected” as an actress without facing sexual misconduct.

Speaking to Australia’s WHO magazine, she said: “I don't know why the culture is set up like that and we aren't just protected anyway, but it's interesting that the power of another man gives you respect.”

The 'Big Little Lies' star - who has Sunday, 10, and Faith, seven, with Keith - recently said she was "reluctant to talk about" her marriage to the 'Mission: Impossible' star because it feels "disrespectful" now she's married to Keith, but she did admit Tom's status helped to protect her whilst she was a young star in Hollywood.

She said at the time: "Being married to Tom Cruise at 22 is something I'm always reluctant to talk about, because I'm married now to the man who is my great love [Keith Urban], and it almost feels disrespectful. That said, I got married very young, but it definitely wasn't power for me - it was protection.

"I married for love, but being married to an extremely powerful man kept me from being sexually harassed. I would work, but I was still very much cocooned. So when I came out of it at 32, 33, it's almost like I had to grow up.”

And Nicole then later added that part of the reason she felt safe during her marriage was because she started her family young, and so stopped "going to parties”.

She said: "I'm saying because I was married at 23 years old, I wasn't going to parties, or I wasn't going out a lot. I was pretty much at home. I had my first child at 25 and I was married. I was in a family so, my sense of being in the world was I was working or I was at home."