Nicole Kidman explains odd Oscar clapping, she was wearing a 13 carat ring

Another mystery from this year’s Academy Awards has been solved! It seems we got to the bottom of the Best Picture envelope mix-up, leaving us to ponder why Nicole Kidman was clapping like a seal. After the Oscar ceremony, Twitter exploded with memes and comments about it, like “Nicole Kidman can act, but she can’t clap” and “Nicole Kidman or extremely well-disguised seal?” Well, Nicole has finally told her side of the story, and it wasn’t wet nails or a craving for a fish that resulted in her interesting approach to applause.

The 49-year-old actress, a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Lion, spoke with Australian radio station KIIS FM on Wednesday, telling the Kyle and Jackie O Show that the whole situation was “really awkward,” adding, “I was like, ‘Gosh, I want to clap.’ I don’t want to not be clapping, which would be worse, right? ‘Why isn’t Nicole clapping?'”

Chalk this up to #celebrityproblems. As with many Academy Awards attendees, designers and jewelers clamor to have their wares showed off on the red carpet. Famed jeweler Harry Winston lent Nicole 119 carats of a girl’s best friend, including a massive 13.58-carat cluster pearl-shaped, platinum set diamond ring. Since these were loaners, you can imagine that Nicole would want to treat them like the multi-million dollar pieces they are and err on the side of caution. She confessed that “It was really difficult because I had a huge ring on that was not my own. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I was terrified of damaging it. It’s like, is there not more important things to be focused on than the seal clap?” Enjoy the awesome Aussie-ness of the interview below.

Hey, at least she can laugh about it. And, contrary to other things I’ve read online about the incident, I believe Nicole. Besides, you all pretty much had this mystery solved as soon as it happened. If you look at the clip from the ceremony, you can see the huge ring swinging around Nicole’s finger. I lost weight after getting married and my engagement ring did the exact same thing, so I can identify with Nicole’s plight. Except, of course, I was never at the Oscars. It did happen many a time at a work awards ceremony though. I can’t even imagine having to keep tabs on such pricey jewels. I wouldn’t put a loose ring in my purse, that’s for sure, so I can only feel for Nicole in this situation – and she lost the Oscar to boot. I wish an enormous diamond ring impeding my ability to clap properly was my biggest problem.

The 89th Oscars hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, live from the Dolby Theatre. As seen on ABC.

Goldene Kamera 2017

2017 BAFTA Awards - Arrivals

The 89th Annual Academy Awards Arrivals

Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com

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31 Responses to “Nicole Kidman explains odd Oscar clapping, she was wearing a 13 carat ring”

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  1. original kay says:

    #firstworldproblems

  2. Raina says:

    My diamonds make me walk like a penguin.

  3. Mar says:

    Anyone that wears large rings knows you can’t perform every hand function quite the same, especially clapping.

    I’m not sure why this was such a mystery

    • derpshooter says:

      I don’t know why turning your hands offset is a mystery. When you have rings, you just don’t line up your fingers from both hands, you make your hands perpendicular to each other. How is this not known? Some people clap like that all the time, rings or no.

  4. Laura says:

    Instead of this dumb crap let’s instead talk about Big Little Lies and how that therapy scene with her and Skarsgard was amazing.

    • Lightpurple says:

      Every scene with the two of them is amazing.

    • Neelyo says:

      I came here to say the same. That therapy scene was amazing. All of them are doing career best work but Kidman’s performance is breaking my heart.

    • lizzie says:

      I hope she wins all the emmy’s. Reese witherspooon is killing it too but methinks she’s not doing much acting. Nicole’s role is much more subtle.

      • Soni says:

        OMG- BBL is just amazing. All of the actors keep getting better and better every episode. And I agree, Nicole and Alex (writing like I know them- ha!) are haunting.

      • Anastasia says:

        HA! My husband said the same thing about Reese!

    • sara says:

      OMG, I loved that scene, I read the book and I think it’s a good adaptation, I hope Nicole gets nominated to Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG !

      • smcollins says:

        BLL fan here as well. I’m loving it and can never wait for the next episode (I haven’t read the book so I don’t know what’s coming next)! The entire cast is phenomenal.

    • Minx says:

      “let’s instead talk about Big Little Lies and how that therapy scene with her and Skarsgard was amazing.”

      Same! All the Emmy’s need to go to the BLL cast. Nicole and Alexander Skarsgard are phenomenal together. I would have never thought to pair these two up, but their scenes are unforgettable. Reese Witherspoon is amazing as is Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley. Soooo many good performances!

    • Anastasia says:

      It was, but I’m actually starting to get bored with their marriage. And I wish they would stop whispering on that show! They speak so softly, I can hardly hear them!

      • sura says:

        You’re starting to get bored of watching a marriage of domestic abuse? Well poor you……

      • Eye rolling every day here says:

        Sura, you are aware it’s not real, right? Do you need to be so rude?

  5. Loopy says:

    Haha mean but they looked like the Grinch hands.

  6. Rooky says:

    Have you guys noticed that nicole is wearing full hair pieces on at least two of the pictures? I can see them clearly on the pics with her hair down.

    • mellie says:

      Yes! I can never tell that stuff, but these are so obvious.

    • EMc says:

      Maybe she’s losing her hair? I’m 31 and have a type of hormonal alopecia that is causing me to lose my hair, which makes me super self conscious. I have a hair piece just like hers that I have a hard time blending because I’m getting so thin in front. I feel better with it, but I’m nervous people are staring at it.. Just like you 😉

      • LM says:

        I’m sorry to hear that EMc. I’m 46 (her age) and my hair is getting thinner and thinner. It’s rare you see a middle aged woman in perimenopause moving into menopause/postmenopause with a full head of lush hair. Personally, I think this this is the best I’ve ever seen her look in a long time.
        I can’t fault a girl for thinning hair… it’s called growing older and add it to the list of all the other crap we contend with as we age.

    • LAK says:

      I started noticing her wiglets a few years back. Many stars wear them, but hers are have become worse which makes them stand out more.

      • smcollins says:

        I’m sure all the years of dying and straightening her hair hasn’t helped. She had the most gorgeous mane of curls when she first broke onto the scene (which I know in and of itself is hard to manage, but…all those chemicals no doubt took a toll).

  7. Lilly says:

    Lol @ ‘a craving for fish’. Well played Corey.

  8. Ash says:

    at this point it should be Nicole Kidman Targaryen…serious…just the violet contacts and shes a go ….atleast with red hair it gave her some personality aliveness now shes a nordic fembot ew

    also she looks like a Castithan this race of rigid Aliens who are stark white down to the iris. It’s terrifying llol

      • Ash says:

        she looks washed out like a ghost in her quest for no freckles and stark platinum hair….she should go back to her natural red hair with the freckles…. and the alien reference was to my fangirl show on syfy called Defiance lol