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Nicole Kidman reveals all about that awkward Oscars ‘seal clap’: watch

Nicole Kidman
Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
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Actress Nicole Kidman has finally put rumours to rest over her bizarre ‘seal clap’ at this year’s Oscars. Talking on Australia’s Kiis FM Kyle and Jackie O radio show, she revealed that her peculiar applause was all down to her jewellery. 

It seems the star’s huge Harry Winston diamond ring interfered with her clapping style. Nicole, 49, explained, "It was really awkward. I was like, ‘I wanna clap. I don't want to not be clapping, which would be worse right? 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."

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Twitter exploded on Oscar night with comments about Nicole’s strange clapping technique, referring to the clap as ‘boomerang hands’ and ‘half sea-lion’. Nicole, whose Oscar jewellery totalled a huge 119 carats, was quick to fight back, telling the radio hosts: "It's like, 'is there not more important things to be focused on than the 'seal clap'?" Hopefully the Oscar nominated actress will now have silenced her critics on the issue.

READ: Nicole Kidman reveals she was secretly engaged to Lenny Kravitz

Meanwhile, Kidman is currently receiving rave reviews of her role in HBO show Big Little Lies. Also starring Reese Witherspoon and Alexander Skarsgard, the dark comedy-drama confronts some controversial issues. Nicole spoke recently about how she is coping filming violent scenes: "We would shoot [the violent scenes] repeatedly. I was emotionally and physically traumatised. I’d come back and need Keith to hold me, just to feel soothed. I think it worked on my psyche in a way that I didn’t realise,” she admitted. 

Nicole and husband country singer Keith Urban looked the picture of love on Oscar night. The happy couple are parents to Sunday Rose, 8, and Faith Margaret, 5, who they conceived through surrogacy and have homes in Sydney, Los Angeles and Nashville. Nicole is also mum to adopted children Isabella, 24 and Connor, 22, with former husband Tom Cruise.

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