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Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek Are ‘Close Friends,’ Fashion Week Incident Was ‘Taken Out of Context’
A tense interaction between Salma Hayek and Nicole Kidman at the Balenciaga fashion show went viral, but an insider exclusively tells Life & Style that the situation was “taken out of context.”
“There is nothing to this. They are close friends,” the source dishes. “Salma and Nicole truly love each other.”
Salma, 58, and Nicole, 57, attended the Balenciaga RTW (Ready-to-Wear) spring fashion show in Paris on September 30. While posing for pictures together, a photographer requested “one more” snap from the duo and the Frida star attempted to position the Australian actress to face the camera. Nicole and Salma exchanged a few words before Nicole took hold of Salma’s hand, seemingly pushing it to the side.
The Gone Girl star turned to greet singer Katy Perry, exchanged a few more words with Salma, and then walked away. It’s unclear what the pair said to each other, but after Nicole left, Salma seemingly said, “Yes, please. Advice.”
Body language and behavioral expert Darren Stanton told In Touch on behalf of Spin Genie that he believed the awkward interaction was over an “etiquette issue.”
“The critical moment seems to be that Nicole was posing for photos with Katy Perry. As Nicole goes to walk away, Salma pulls her back, puts her hand across her and pushes her back into [formation],” Darren told the outlet on Monday, October 14. “However, Nicole has had enough, and she isn’t playing ball. Salma comes at it, likely, from the view it is of correct etiquette to pose for photos for the paps, and Nicole wants to walk away. Nicole has obviously taken exception, and that’s where the altercation has come from.”
In addition, the expert believed the tense moment was an “assertion of power” and a “battle of egos” between the two stars.
“You can see Nicole makes a gesture with her finger, raises her finger and shakes her hand, as if to say, I’m not having this. You then see Salma hold her hand, almost like a gesture a police officer might make, to direct someone,” Darren explained. “It’s almost as if she’s trying to direct Nicole’s movement in the opposite direction to where she wanted to go. As Nicole walked off in the direction she chose, we see this fantastic chin thrust from Salma, which is reminiscent of the likes of Conor McGregor.”
The duo both have close ties to the luxury brand as Salma is married to François-Henri Pinault, who took the helm of Kering, a luxury goods company that owns several brands, including Balenciaga, in 2005. Meanwhile, Nicole was named a brand ambassador for the label in 2023.
Neither Salma nor Nicole has addressed the awkward moment as of publication. The From Dusk to Dawn star seemingly squashed rumors of a feud with Nicole by including a photo with her on her Instagram feed. “Finally last night the grand finale of my Paris Fashion Week 2025,” the Mexican actress captioned the snap on October 1. “[Clapping emoji] Balenciaga and Demna for a terrific show.” She also tagged Nicole and Katy’s Instagram handles.
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