Nicole Kidman’s Viral ‘Reaction’ To Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock Isn’t What You Think It Is
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The ‘Being the Ricardos’ star’s reaction was taken out of context and wasn’t even related to the slapping incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock.
After the Academy Awards, the “slap heard around the world” has been the talk of the internet, with fans also zero-ing in on star reactions to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the award show on Sunday March 27. One of the most viral moments was photo of Nicole Kidman, 54, with her mouth open, seeming shocked by the slap, except she was not actually reacting to the incident that became the talk of the evening.
While the photo definitely captured tons of people’s own feelings about the surprising moment between the comedian and actor, Nicole’s facial expression actually had nothing to do with the slap. The photo was actually taken much earlier in the day, around 4:30 p.m. PST, according to Page Six. The picture was actually taken before the live broadcast had even begun, and it was as stars were taking their seats at the show and some of the other awards were being given ahead of the show that many watched on TV, meaning it came long before the slap happened.
While it’s not clear what Nicole was reacting to, some people shared the photo on Twitter, saying it was in response to the on-stage incident. Even though some people shared the photo with the incorrect description, some people did chime in to respond that it was taken before the show had even started.
Even though the viral photo of Nicole wasn’t really in response to Will slapping Chris, Lupita Nyong’o was seated behind Will for the show, and her reactions also captivated the internet, and they were very much so a reaction to the slapping incident. The Black Panther actress looked extremely taken aback to realize that the on-stage scuffle was genuine and not a staged act out.
In the aftermath of the standout moment from the Oscars, tons of stars have weighed in with their own feelings about the whole incident, and they seemed just as surprised as the average viewer at home. Some like Nicki Minaj and 50 Cent showed support for Will for standing up for Jada Pinkett Smith, while some others like Sunny Hostin felt like Will should have apologized to Chris specifically, rather than his general apology to the Academy and his fellow nominees.