Nicole Kidman has fuelled romance rumours with Aussie co-star Simon Baker after the pair were spotting holding hands on a red carpet.

The Australian actors set tongues wagging with their cosy appearance for the New York premiere of the Prime Video show Scarpetta two weeks ago.

They held hands and smiled at each other – apparently confirming months of rumours from filming the crime drama, which dropped last week. After the premier, Kidman and Baker reportedly spent much of the rest of the night “deep in conversation” at the private after-party.

In Scarpetta, Kidman,58, plays the lead role of Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist. Baker, 56, is FBI profiler, Benton Wesley.

Kidman and Baker share the screen again in the new Scarpetta. Photo: Prime Video

The series is based on US crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling novels, which have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide. The star-studded cast also includes Jamie Lee Curtis and Bobby Cannavale.

Kidman and Baker have known each other for decades. She is close to The Mentalist star’s ex-wife, Rebecca Rigg, and godmother to one of their three children.

She told The Daily Telegraph she had “begged” Baker to work with her.

“We have known each other for a huge portion of our lives, so I’ve always wanted to do something substantial with Simon,” she said.

“It was me going, would you please, please, do this with me? And he was at a time in his life when he could, when he could make decisions to be away from home and do things that took his fancy, and so it was kind of kismet.”

“He said yes to me.”

Kidman said the pair’s working relationship brought something magical to the screen.

“Our chemistry just vibrates,” she said in one interview.

Baker was more diplomatic.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” he said when asked about a possible romance.

However, he has previously spoken about sharing an on-screen kiss with Kidman when the pair starred as a married couple in the 2022 anthology Roar.

“It’s kind of strange,” he said. “I think the first time we did it, we both sort of went, ‘OK, whatever’.”

Kidman said she didn’t find it strange.

“We’ve kissed on the cheek before. We’ve hugged a lot. We’ve lived in the same house,” she said.

“And you know, the woman I grew up with, he was married to for a substantial part of his life … 29 years, so we are just the same person.”

Kidman ended her 19-year marriage to country singer Keith Urban in a surprise split last year. Their divorce was finalised in January

Her budding romance with her co-star and long-time friend has reportedly left Urban feeling “betrayed”.

“Keith is hoping they’re just hamming it up for headlines, but even then it feels to him like it’s a betrayal because both Nicole and Simon know how much even the hint of a romance between them will hurt him,” a source told Woman’s Day.

“He already suspected they were getting close while filming. This is his worst nightmare come true.

“He hates that they’re giving interviews about how close they are.”

Urban was reportedly shocked that Kidman would “flaunt a new relationship” so soon after their divorce.

“It’s not what they agreed on for the sake of the girls,” the source said.

Kidman and Urban share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15.

Last week, Kidman spoke about her divorce for the first time. She told Variety that 2025 had been a quiet year but “2026. Here we go”.