Nicole Kidman is renting a large Hampstead mansion once owned by Culture Club frontman Boy George while she films the sequel Practical Magic 2, the Daily Mail reported, saying the actress is paying about £65,000 a month for the Grade II‑listed property.
The Daily Mail said Kidman, 58, recently moved into the house and will stay there while shooting takes place at Warner Bros studios in Hertfordshire and at locations in Worcester Park, Surrey. The report identified the home as the imposing, leafy London residence Boy George bought around four decades ago after the band had a major hit with "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and described it as a "gothic pile."
The Daily Mail account recalled a long-standing controversy associated with the house: in 1986 an American musician, Michael Rudetsky, 27, was found slumped in the property’s living room and later investigations identified a heroin overdose as the cause of death, the newspaper reported. The report said Rudetsky had flown to London to work with Boy George, and that his death affected the singer, who was battling his own drug problems at the time.
A person quoted by the Daily Mail described the property as spacious and in a desirable location and said that, "if you put aside what must've gone on in that house over the years, it is stunning, in a beautiful location and it has lots of space." The report did not say whether Kidman or representatives for Boy George commented on the rental.
The mansion’s Grade II listing indicates it is recognised for its architectural or historic interest, a designation that can apply to older homes in the UK. The Daily Mail piece framed Kidman's choice to stay there in the context of her temporary relocation to London for film production work.
Daily Mail coverage of celebrity real estate often highlights both the properties' market values and any public controversies connected to them. This report ties together the residence’s history, its association with Boy George and a past death, and Kidman’s current use of the house while working on a major studio production.