Nicole Kidman's Oscars Reaction Is Meme Of The Night – But It's Not What It Looks Like

Although the photo lit up Twitter, there was more to the story.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Will Smith’s apparent slap at Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony on Sunday night took over Twitter, with jokes, outrage and memes. But one image that was celebrated as the ultimate reaction to the moment isn’t what it appears to be: Best Actress nominee Nicole Kidman, looking on in apparent shock:

Nicole Kidman at the 94th Oscars on Sunday.
Nicole Kidman at the 94th Oscars on Sunday.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Turns out the viral image was actually snapped much earlier in the evening. Reuters photographers snapped a similar moment and noted that it was from before the show even began:

Here's a slightly different angle.
Here's a slightly different angle.
Brian Snyder via Reuters

Footage from around the time of the attack shows Nicole was wearing husband Keith Urban’s jacket.

While the viral Nicole image didn’t feature her reaction to Will Smith, it will no doubt take its place in the pantheon of memes used as a reaction to anything and everything.

After all, Nicole’s been there before:

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