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.
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.”
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor’s “flirtatious” reunion at the 2026 Academy Awards did not land well with viewers
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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.
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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.
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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”
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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.”
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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!”
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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
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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!”
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“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.”
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“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
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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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