Nicole Kidman's former boyfriend was left "heartbroken" when she left him for Tom Cruise.
'E Street' actor Marcus Graham, 59, dated the Oscar-winning actress when they were in their early 20s and though he was "devastated" when she ended their two-year romance after falling for her 'Days of Thunder' co-star in 1989, he insisted he doesn't bear any "bad feelings".
Marcus told Australia's Woman's Day magazine about his split from Nicole, now 56: "I don't have anything bad to say about Nicole.
"We were both in our early 20s and young and ambitious. A brilliant, gorgeous, talented actress meets big Hollywood movie star and he says, 'Come with me.' I think you say, 'Go, are you mad?' It must have been wonderful for her.
"I was devastated and heartbroken, but that's the way it goes, isn't it? Why would I want to keep her in Australia and lock her away?!
"I don't have any bad feelings there and I understand. At the time I cried for a long time. I was really hurt and confused, but I had lots to learn about the world."
The former 'Home and Away' actor - who has dated the likes of Melissa Tkautz, Rebecca Gibney, and Mia Freedman - is currently single but hasn't given up hope of finding love or becoming a dad one day.
He said: "It almost happened a couple of times. I was with someone and we were all set up and there was a miscarriage and that was heartbreaking.
"I haven't ruled it out and I'm a hopeless romantic, so I've had to really take care of myself because I can get carried away with people and get my heart broken easily."
But for now, Marcus is comfortable with his single status.
He added: "I got to a point with relationships where I thought I just might be better off on my own, to be quite honest. I can be fatalistic about it and think it's all been for the best.
"But I also feel like I'm kind of a different person in many ways, which makes me hopeful yet of having a relationship."
Nicole and Tom went on to marry in December 1990 and adopted children Isabella, 30, and Connor, 28, but they split in 2001. The 'Big Little Lies' actress later wed Keith Urban in June 2006, and the couple have daughters Sunday, 14, and Faith, 12.
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