Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek caught people's attention recently as a video appeared to show them sharing a frosty moment.
The two actresses, who attended the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week on September 30 alongside singer Katy Perry, were caught in a viral video that had fans wondering if there were tensions between them.
In the clip, which gained widespread attention over the weekend, Hayek, 58, appeared to encourage Kidman, 57, to face the cameras after they posed for a group photo with Perry.
However, Kidman responded by pushing Hayek’s arm aside, directing her attention back toward Perry.
Following the brief but noticeable exchange, Hayek, whose husband François-Henri Pinault owns Balenciaga, was seen with a seemingly tense expression.
Kidman, a brand ambassador for the fashion house, went on to greet Perry, after which she exchanged a few words with Hayek.
During the interaction, as Kidman continued to pose with Perry, Hayek could be heard saying: “Yes please. Advice.”
“You don’t need it,” Kidman replied from off-camera.
“I do,” Hayek insisted.
Forensic lip-reading expert Jeremy Freeman analyzed the interaction, concluding that Hayek was trying to direct Kidman and Perry toward the cameras, per the Daily Mail.
According to Freeman, Hayek said: "Look, look," to which Kidman replied: “Hey, I’m fine, I’m good.”
After kissing Perry on the cheek, Kidman added: “There, it’s enough, it’s OK.”
Hayek then placed her arm on Perry, telling Kidman: "That’s fine, that’s fine," while continuing to urge Perry to face the photographers.
Body language expert Judi James also weighed in on the incident, attributing the perceived tension to an “etiquette issue.”
James told The Daily Mail: “We can see Salma apparently trying to steer Nicole around and away from her using an arm and a hand that could, although possibly not touching, be seen or felt as directive and a little superior.”
James noted that Kidman’s reaction, appearing to push Hayek’s hand away, might suggest that the gesture breached “some kind of silent etiquette.”
She explained: “Nicole appears to push the hand away, suggesting the mimed touch breached some kind of silent etiquette, as in a possible ‘I’ll choose when I go or where I move to.’”
While fans were quick to assume tension, sources say Kidman’s reaction was directed at the photographers, not Hayek.
“There is no issue,” a source told the Daily Mail. “This is a snippet of a video that doesn’t represent reality. There is a photo of them posing together. Nothing happened.”
The insider clarified that Kidman and Hayek were exchanging advice when the video was taken.
“They were talking about something concerning advice and having a pow-wow – while being bombarded and yelled at and surrounded from all angles by cameras. They just wanted to go. They are friends and are fine despite what anyone thinks.”
Addressing speculation about Kidman’s behavior, the source added: “Nicole is not rude. At all. She may be awkward at times, but she is not rude.”
Addressing the controversy, the insider emphasized that Kidman is still grieving her mother’s loss and dismissed the feud rumors.
They said: “Nicole is dealing with the loss of her mother, which is very hard. The last thing she needs is people creating something that just isn’t there. They are friends, and at the end of the day, there is no story.”
Despite the online chatter, Hayek later shared images from the night on Instagram, including a photo of herself with Kidman, who was not looking at the camera.
