The98th Academy Awardson Sunday night, March 15, were full ofnostalgic reunionsthat fans love, but not every throwback landed the way stars might have hoped.
WhenNicole KidmanandEwan McGregorshared a "flirtatious" moment that echoed their iconic chemistry fromMoulin Rouge!, it quickly grabbedattentionfor all thewrong reasons.
In clips shared across social media, instead of swooning over the reunion, users were leftcringing, with some even claiming the moment proved "Hollywood has sunk to its lowest low."
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor's "flirtatious" reunion at the 2026 Academy Awards did not land well with viewers
Image credits:Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 2001 musical filmMoulin Rouge!,the duo reunited on stage.
The film, directed by Baz Luhrmann, marked the first time Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor shared the screen.
It is a "jukebox musical" that blends a 19th-century setting with modern pop hits from artists like Madonna, Elton John, and Queen.
Image credits:Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The story follows a young English poet named Christian, portrayed by McGregor, who falls in love with Satine, Kidman's character and the star courtesan of a cabaret, while a jealous Duke attempts to claim her.
The film was a major success, earning eightAcademy Awardnominations at the 74th ceremony in 2002 and winning two, for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
Image credits:abc
Image credits:AuntToYou
During the 2026 ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, the pair engaged in a playful, cheeky exchange as they took the stage to present the Best Picture award.
After Kidman mentioned she "adored" the nominees, McGregor cheekily asked if she "loved" them, prompting a back-and-forth of song lyrics, includingLove Is Like OxygenandLove Is a Many-Splendored Thing.
The iconic duo's brief musical segment to mark the 25th anniversary of their filmMoulin Rouge!was harshly dubbed "cringeworthy"
Image credits:abc
Ewan said to his former co-star, "Adored? Would you say you loved them? You know, love is like oxygen."
To this, Kidman replied, "Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong."
Image credits:20th Century Studios
Image credits:Schneider_CM
TheDown With Lovestar then added, "But I have to say, Nicole, even thoughit's been 25 years[since Moulin Rouge], every time I hear the word love, I still imagine someone is going to lower a chandelier and cue the orchestra."
This prompted Nicole to reply, "Ooh, don't tempt me!"
Image credits:abc
Image credits:VieChantant
They concluded the segment by singing a snippet ofAll You Need Is LovebyThe Beatlesbefore presenting the top prize to the filmOne Battle After Another.
Their interaction, however, was widely criticized across social media, with viewers arguing that the performance came across as forced or insincere.
"She was flirting so bad with him! It seemed like she made him nervous," wrote one skeptical commentator
Image credits:sapphicmacbeth
One critic expressed, "That may have been theworst pre-award banter in Oscars history."
Another person said, "She was flirting so bad with him! It seemed like she made him nervous! Nicole cannot keep her hands off men!"
Advertisement
Image credits:Evan Agostini/ImageDirect
"Why can't they just present the award instead of making it creepily about themselves it's just weird," commented a third user, while another wrote, "Close and lock the doors. Hollywood has sunk to its lowest low. The fawning and cooing is so fake."
Others cast suspicion overThe Perfect Couplestar's appearance, writing, "Thatdoesn't look like Nicole Kidmanand she doesn't talk and act like Nicole Kidman either."
Image credits:CarrieP35626709
"It was so forced and fake tho… neither of them did a good job about it."
However, some netizens defended the duo, arguing that their "chemistry was spot on" and that they were only "acting" for the cameras.
Nicole and Ewan participated in the segment while presenting the Oscar statuette for Best Picture during the ceremony
Image credits:Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Image credits:niclovsie
One supporter wrote in their defense, "Nicole is stunning here. I loved that movie and I do not like musicals. Nothing wrong with their banter."
Another fan chimed in, "They were literally quoting their Moulin Rouge characters… The 'critics' are obviously not familiar with the dialogue. So, out of context, they don't understand it was a cute bit for fans of the movie."
Image credits:20th Century Studios
A third added, "Surely people must realise the whole thing is closely scripted!!!"
"This is proof people literally will complain about anything! Lol. This was adorable and quite frankly it shows they still havegreat chemistry!"
Speaking toVarietyreporter Marc Malkin after the ceremony, Kidman gushed about her reunion with McGregor, saying, "We had the best time… we know each other so well!"
She also revealed that McGregor had flown in specifically for the presentation despite being in the middle of filming another project.
"It took me a while to even know what movie they were referring to," wrote one social media user
Image credits:Moen83843
Image credits:KevinBo04904958
Image credits:keywordnovelist
Image credits:NilesGordon
Image credits:brystr06
Image credits:malbin_peter
Image credits:WatermanArt
Image credits:LeahTheDelight
Image credits:St_keegan_
Image credits:Big3GOATRace
Image credits:seetrevorrun
Image credits:kilmeny_
Image credits:veNus_2910
Image credits:Tega_Riga