ON EVE of divorce, Kidman, Cruise arrive separately for `The Others' premiere

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ On the eve of their divorce, Nicole Kidman arrived minus Tom Cruise Tuesday evening for the premiere of her new movie ``The Others.'' <br><br>Accompanied by actresses Naomi Watts

Wednesday, August 8th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ On the eve of their divorce, Nicole Kidman arrived minus Tom Cruise Tuesday evening for the premiere of her new movie ``The Others.''

Accompanied by actresses Naomi Watts and Rebecca Rigg, two of her closest friends, as well as ``The Others'' director Alejandro Amenabar, Kidman stepped onto the red carpet in front of the Directors Guild of America's screening auditorium to shouts of ``Nicole! Nicole!''

Wearing a black dress shot with silver, her hair in a ponytail and a silver necklace around her neck, she spent several minutes autographing fans' pictures and shaking hands before walking inside for a series of interviews.

Cruise arrived separately about 20 minutes later and also went through the barrage of cameras. He was one of the film's executive producers.

Wearing black pants and a white, striped shirt, open at the neck and rolled to the elbows, Cruise appeared relaxed as he strode up the red carpet. Kidman was already inside and they did not see each other as they arrived.

Cruise, who arrived alone, was asked how he deals with the publicity surrounding his divorce and his personal life.

``Tell 'em to mind their own business,'' he said with a laugh.

``There are certain things I just don't pay attention to,'' he added. ``You just have to go on with your life.''

Cruise said it shouldn't be surprising that both he and Kidman attended the premiere.

``We're here, we love what we do, we love films. ... We feel privileged to be doing something that we enjoy doing,'' he said. ``Tonight is a celebration of a picture that we all worked very hard on, and the performance that Nic has given is flawless.''

Kidman and Cruise's divorce becomes final on Wednesday, six months after Cruise filed the papers citing irreconcilable differences.

The couple agreed to share custody of their children, Conor, 6, and Isabella, 8. A hearing has been scheduled Oct. 4 to work out financial and property issues.

``The Others,'' an old-school haunted house movie, stars Kidman as a control-freak mother holed up with her two children in a spooky old mansion at the end of World War II.