Nicole Kidman references Tom Cruise in AFI Life Achievement award speech

Nicole Kidman made a rare reference to first husband Tom Cruise during her AFI Life Achievement award acceptance speech.

The Oscar winning actress spoke of learning from different actors throughout her career, saying: "Some of them you may never meet again and some of them you do meet again. Some of them you have incredible laughter and jokes with, and you cry with; some of them you fall in love with, some of them you marry."

Nicole, 56, met Tom in 1989 when they worked on Days of Thunder. They married in 1990 and eventually divorced in 2001 after appearing in two other films together, Far and Away, and Eyes Wide Shut.

The pair share two adopted children together, Isabella, now 31, and Connor, now 29.

Nicole is reported to have a strained relationship with both of them, believed to be due to their participation in Scientology, alongside Tom.

Neither of them were present at the AFI awards night, although Isabella liked one of Nicole's social media posts about the event over the weekend.

Nicole married Keith Urban in 2006. They have two daughters, Sunday Rose, 15, and Faith Margaret, 13.

Both Sunday and Faith were at the awards ceremony and appeared on the red carpet with their mum and dad.

During Nicole's speech, she didn't make mention of Connor and Isabella, but referred to Sunday and Faith as "the loves of my life."