Nicole Kidman appeared to scold Salma Hayek before refusing to pose for a photo with the actress, sparking furious speculation that the pair are embroiled in a bitter feud.
But despite the furor over Kidman’s alleged coldness, the actress reportedly became enraged at the braying photographers.
The actresses were said to be exchanging advice after posing for photos alongside Katy Perry at the Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week, when Kidman, 57, grew tired of the requests for more and walked away.
“There is no problem,” an exclusive source told DailyMail.com. ‘This is a fragment of a video that does not represent reality. There is a photo of them posing together. Nothing happened.
‘They were talking about something related to advice and having a meeting, while they were bombarded, shouted at and surrounded from all angles by cameras. They just wanted to leave.
Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek appeared to share a tense moment at the Balenciaga Paris Fashion Week show last month when the Australian star pushed her hand away.
But despite the furore over Kidman’s alleged coldness, the actress, 57, reportedly became enraged at the braying photographers.
“They are friends and they are fine despite what everyone thinks.”
They added: ‘Nicole is not rude. At all. She may be awkward at times, but not rude.
Kidman and Hayek, 58, whose husband, fashion mogul François-Henri Pinault, owns Balenciaga, appeared to clash when asked to pose alongside Perry, 39.
Perfect Couple actress Kidman, wearing oversized black sunglasses, appeared to smack Hayek’s hand as she motioned for her to take a photo before walking away.
Footage of the incident, which took place two weeks ago, began circulating on Sunday night, and fans flooded Kidman’s Instagram account with ridicule and questions about her alleged behavior.
Forensic lip reading expert Jeremy Freeman has analyzed the apparent clash, claiming that Hayek was telling Kidman and Perry to “look, look” at the photographers.
“Let’s go over there, okay here,” Hayek said, to which Kidman responded, “Hey, I’m fine, I’m fine.”
After kissing Perry on the cheek, he added, “That’s enough, okay.”
Hayek then put her arm around Perry and told Kidman “it’s okay, it’s okay,” before telling the Roar singer to “look, look” at the photographers.
Forensic lip reading expert Jeremy Freeman analyzed the apparent clash, stating that Hayek was telling Kidman and Perry to “look, look” at the photographers.
“They were talking about something to do with advice and a group of experts, while they were bombarded, shouted and surrounded from all angles,” a source told DailyMail.com.
It comes after body language expert Judi James claimed the awkward altercation was over a “matter of etiquette”.
“We can see Salma apparently trying to push Nicole away from her using an arm and hand that, although possibly not touching her, can be seen or felt as directive and slightly superior,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Nicole seems to push her hand away, suggesting that the pampering touch violated some kind of silent etiquette, as in a possible “I’ll choose when I go or where I move.”
He added: “Maintaining dignity and maintaining impeccable elegance while being pushed and made to wait for what can often be hours are necessary skills, and Nicole Kidman offers here what feels like a masterclass in how to protect the parameters of the list “A and the signs of status against all odds”. .’
Hours after the event, Hayek uploaded a carousel of images from the night, including one of Kidman, who was not looking at the camera.
“Finally last night the grand finale of my Paris Fashion Week 2025 took place… Balenciaga and Demna for a fantastic show,” Hayek wrote.
“They were talking about something to do with advice and a group of experts, while they were bombarded, shouted and surrounded from all angles,” a source told DailyMail.com.
He also tagged Kidman, Perry and Lindsay Lohan.
One fan posted: ‘Nicole was so rude to you, why take photos with her?’
Another wrote: ‘Nicole was mean to you but you still posted a photo with her. You have goodness in your heart!’
But some appeared to defend Kidman after her mother’s death, with one commenting: “Exposing Nicole when she’s going through such a sad time…”
The event marked Kidman’s first public engagement since the death of her mother Janelle. The actress and her sister Antonia shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram and posted several never-before-seen photos of the late matriarch.
The source added: “Nicole is dealing with the loss of her mother, which is very difficult. The last thing she needs is people believing something that simply doesn’t exist. They are friends and, at the end of the day, there is no story.” .