Nicole Kidman Denies Shes Uninsurable

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman's spokeswoman said reports that a knee injury made the actress uninsurable for movie productions are bogus.

Ms. Kidman, who has starred in films such as "Moulin Rouge" and "Cold Mountain," said through representative Catherine Olim that there hasn't been any problem with her knee for the past several films. "It was a temporary situation and now the problem is non-existent," Ms. Olim told National Underwriter.

The issue surfaced when online magazine Slate.com ran a story late last week claiming that a knee injury Ms. Kidman sustained during the shooting of "Moulin Rouge" in 2000 led to production postponement, resulting in two claims for delays and a $3 million loss for insurers.

According to Slate, in 2001, Ms. Kidman quit her part in "Panic Room" after three weeks of shooting because the problem with her knee flared up again, which almost resulted in the entire production being canceled and a $54 million insurance claim.

The story claimed Ms. Kidman's knee condition was putting her acting career in limbo. In "Cold Mountain," both Lloyd's of London and Fireman's Fund effectively turned her down by asking for significant premium hikes, which forced Ms. Kidman to put part of her salary in escrow, which would go to the insurer in case of claims.

But Ms. Kidman's representative blasted the report, telling NU that Ms. Kidman never had to put her salary in escrow. "She never had to put any of her salary away, ever, nor is there any problem anymore," Ms. Olim said.