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“She Made Him Nervous”: Nicole Kidman And Ewan McGregor’s Oscars Reunion Slammed As “Cringeworthy”
The 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, March 15, were full of nostalgic reunions that fans love, but not every throwback landed the way stars might have hoped.
When Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor shared a “flirtatious” moment that echoed their iconic chemistry from Moulin Rouge!, it quickly grabbed attention for all the wrong reasons.
Highlights
- Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor reunited onstage to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their film Moulin Rouge!, but the nostalgic moment quickly sparked intense debate online.
- What was meant to be a playful, chemistry-filled exchange instead sparked backlash, with viewers calling the segment “cringeworthy” and overly staged.
- While critics slammed the moment, others defended the duo, insisting the exchange was a scripted callback that only true fans of the film would fully appreciate.
In clips shared across social media, instead of swooning over the reunion, users were left cringing, with some even claiming the moment proved “Hollywood has sunk to its lowest low.”
RELATED:
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor’s “flirtatious” reunion at the 2026 Academy Awards did not land well with viewers
Image credits: Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge!, the duo reunited on stage.
The film, directed by Baz Luhrmann, marked the first time Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor shared the screen.
It is a “jukebox musical” that blends a 19th-century setting with modern pop hits from artists like Madonna, Elton John, and Queen.
Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The story follows a young English poet named Christian, portrayed by McGregor, who falls in love with Satine, Kidman’s character and the star courtesan of a cabaret, while a jealous Duke attempts to claim her.
The film was a major success, earning eight Academy Award nominations at the 74th ceremony in 2002 and winning two, for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
Image credits: abc
Image credits: AuntToYou
During the 2026 ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, the pair engaged in a playful, cheeky exchange as they took the stage to present the Best Picture award.
After Kidman mentioned she “adored” the nominees, McGregor cheekily asked if she “loved” them, prompting a back-and-forth of song lyrics, including Love Is Like Oxygen and Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing.
The iconic duo’s brief musical segment to mark the 25th anniversary of their film Moulin Rouge! was harshly dubbed “cringeworthy”
Image credits: abc
Ewan said to his former co-star, “Adored? Would you say you loved them? You know, love is like oxygen.”
To this, Kidman replied, “Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong.”
Image credits: 20th Century Studios
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The Down With Love star then added, “But I have to say, Nicole, even though it’s been 25 years [since Moulin Rouge], every time I hear the word love, I still imagine someone is going to lower a chandelier and cue the orchestra.”
This prompted Nicole to reply, “Ooh, don’t tempt me!”
Image credits: abc
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They concluded the segment by singing a snippet of All You Need Is Love by The Beatles before presenting the top prize to the film One Battle After Another.
Their interaction, however, was widely criticized across social media, with viewers arguing that the performance came across as forced or insincere.
“She was flirting so bad with him! It seemed like she made him nervous,” wrote one skeptical commentator
Moulin Rouge! is my favourite musical of all time. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are just incredible in it, and their chemistry on and off screen is just perfect. This bit at the Oscars means so much to me ❤️🔥pic.twitter.com/7iYomRUZ3U
— Mar (@_martremblay) March 16, 2026
Image credits: sapphicmacbeth
One critic expressed, “That may have been the worst pre-award banter in Oscars history.”
Another person said, “She was flirting so bad with him! It seemed like she made him nervous! Nicole cannot keep her hands off men!”
Image credits: Evan Agostini/ImageDirect
“Why can’t they just present the award instead of making it creepily about themselves it’s just weird,” commented a third user, while another wrote, “Close and lock the doors. Hollywood has sunk to its lowest low. The fawning and cooing is so fake.”
Others cast suspicion over The Perfect Couple star’s appearance, writing, “That doesn’t look like Nicole Kidman and she doesn’t talk and act like Nicole Kidman either.”
Nicole Kidman on reuniting with Ewan McGregor at the #Oscars 25 years after Moulin Rouge: “We had the best time.” pic.twitter.com/0whpbMFlem
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Image credits: CarrieP35626709
“It was so forced and fake tho… neither of them did a good job about it.”
However, some netizens defended the duo, arguing that their “chemistry was spot on” and that they were only “acting” for the cameras.
Nicole and Ewan participated in the segment while presenting the Oscar statuette for Best Picture during the ceremony
Image credits: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Image credits: niclovsie
One supporter wrote in their defense, “Nicole is stunning here. I loved that movie and I do not like musicals. Nothing wrong with their banter.”
Another fan chimed in, “They were literally quoting their Moulin Rouge characters… The ‘critics’ are obviously not familiar with the dialogue. So, out of context, they don’t understand it was a cute bit for fans of the movie.”
Image credits: 20th Century Studios
A third added, “Surely people must realise the whole thing is closely scripted!!!”
“This is proof people literally will complain about anything! Lol. This was adorable and quite frankly it shows they still have great chemistry!”
Speaking to Variety reporter Marc Malkin after the ceremony, Kidman gushed about her reunion with McGregor, saying, “We had the best time… we know each other so well!”
She also revealed that McGregor had flown in specifically for the presentation despite being in the middle of filming another project.
“It took me a while to even know what movie they were referring to,” wrote one social media user
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Binky Melnik 4 hours ago
I’m just sooo relieved she quit with the horrid Botox (remember her batwing eyebrows? Yuck!) She’s FINALLY back to normal and beautiful again!
Binky Melnik 4 hours ago
I’m just sooo relieved she quit with the horrid Botox (remember her batwing eyebrows? Yuck!) She’s FINALLY back to normal and beautiful again!
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