Keith Urban has addressed rumours about a rift between him and Nicole Kidman for the first time, saying it’s “pointless” trying to quash speculation the marriage is on the rocks.

Rumours have surfaced that the high-profile couple are leading separate lives, fuelled last month when Kidman arrived alone at Cannes for the premiere of Grace of Monaco while Urban was in the US where he is a judge on American Idol.

But Urban has told a special country edition of Rolling Stone that defending rumours of a split isn’t worth his or Kidman’s time.

“The people who really know us are most aghast by the whole thing,” he said.

“(They say), `How do you not want to defend that?'”

“I’m like, `It’s pointless.’ Our life will be our way of defending it.”

The two don’t go more than five days without seeing each other, and Skype and talk on the phone numerous times a day, he said.

But Urban admits their busy showbiz schedules are often a challenge.

He said missing the Cannes premiere of Grace of Monaco was “excruciatingly hard”.

He even took a framed picture of Kidman with him to the set of American Idol because he was so devastated to be missing it.

Last month, Kidman also seemed to be in overdrive defending the marriage, telling the Mail on Sunday she’d give up her career for her husband.

“I know this sounds old-fashioned but (if) it won’t work for us, then I’m not doing it,” she said.

There was “no question” she’d make the choice if it was in the interests of her family, she said.