Nicole Kidman has blamed her seal-like clapping at the Oscars last month on incredibly expensive jewellery.
The Lion actress has become the butt of many jokes and a laughing stock in social media memes after fans compared her odd applauding at the 89th Academy Awards to a seal flapping its flippers.
On Wednesday the star broke down her clapping technique after Australia radio host Kyle of KISS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O offered his own theory.
“It’s because of the rings, you idiots, like that’s why she’s clapping like that – she doesn’t want to damage the jewels!” Kyle exclaimed.
Squealing with laughter, the actress confirmed the radio host was absolutely correct, adding, “Yes, yes! I’m so glad you clarified that because it was really awkward! I was like, ‘Gosh, I really want to clap’.”
The 49-year-old turned up to the prize-giving in a sparkling Armani Prive dress and paired the embroidered gown with 119 karats of Harry Winston jewels and a vintage diamond Omega museum wristwatch – pieces worth millions of dollars altogether.
And, as presenters passed on awards to Oscar winners, she found herself in an unexpected dilemma – because she was suddenly overcome with the fear of damaging the expensive jewellery.
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“I don’t want to not be clapping, which would be worse right?” she said. “(People would think), ‘Why isn’t Nicole clapping?’
“So therefore I’m clapping but it was really difficult because I had this huge ring on, which was not my own but was absolutely gorgeous and I was terrified of damaging it!”
Nicole is shocked her ‘seal-clapping’ has become such a major talking point, and she is convinced there are far more other interesting issues to focus on than the weird way she was applauding at the prize-giving.
“It’s like, ‘Is there not more important things to be focused on than the seal clap?'” she mused.