Last month, news emerged that the two had parted ways after being together for two decades. Though reports suggested she did not want to end the relationship, Nicole filed for divorce the following day.

A few weeks before news of the split broke, Nicole was asked by Vogue about how she feels in her 50s (it’s worth noting that paperwork shows that the divorce had been in the works for some weeks). She replied, “How many times do you have to be taught that you think you know where your life is going and then it isn’t going in that direction?”

Nicole then said that she relies on her “ride-or-die friendships” — which include Reese Witherspoon, who lives across the street from her in Nashville. Plus, there’s always the opportunity for life’s worst moments to become art: “I put it in my work. That’s the beauty of what I do. There’s a place for some of this to explode, implode, process, discover.”

The actor further keeps a journal. “I’m contemplating writing…there’s a wealth of things I am compiling in my little psyche,” she continued, considering that it may become a “necessity” for her.