Inside Jimmy Fallon's Almost-Relationship With Nicole Kidman
If celebrities had their own dedicated newspaper, the Missed Connections section would be rife with potential relationships. Whether people locked eyes at the Academy Awards and never spoke or they were on a date and didn't know it, they could rekindle their possible flame by arranging another meeting. If this had been the case for Jimmy Fallon, he might have been able to stage a do-over for his almost-relationship with Nicole Kidman. Yes, that Nicole Kidman!
Back in 2015, the Australian actress made an appearance on "The Tonight Show" and discussed the first time she met the late-night television host. As Kidman recalled, she was recently single, and a mutual friend wanted to set her up with Fallon, so she agreed to the date (via ET). Apparently, Fallon didn't get the memo because he assumed Kidman was there to simply hang out and wasn't aware that there were any romantic undertones to their evening together. During the interview, Kidman said, "I just remember I liked you," to which a baffled Fallon replied (via YouTube), "Did I date Nicole Kidman?! Was that a date?!"
We took a closer look at the whole debacle to determine what really went down between Jimmy Fallon and Nicole Kidman. Read on to find out more.
Jimmy Fallon and Nicole Kidman went on one date — sort of
If Nicole Kidman thinks you're on a date, it probably isn't a good idea to serve her leftover Chinese food and start playing video games instead of making conversation. We're talking to you, Jimmy Fallon!
According to Kidman, this is exactly what transpired several years ago when she was set up with Fallon by a mutual friend. While being interviewed by Fallon for "The Tonight Show" back in 2015, Kidman shared all the details of their one-time date (via YouTube). In addition to putting out corn chips and brie, Fallon apparently said very little to the Oscar-winning actress the entire time she was at his apartment.
"You didn't talk. You didn't say anything. You were like, 'Hey, mm, mm, mm,'" Kidman said during the interview. She took this to mean that Fallon wasn't interested in her, so she politely excused herself from the situation shortly thereafter. Yikes!
Apparently, "The Tonight Show" host has a history of missing romantic cues, as is further evidenced by his 2020 interview with Kate Hudson (via YouTube). She recalled being interested in Fallon after meeting on the set of "Almost Famous" back in 2000, and Fallon mentioned having a crush on her at the same time. Fallon told everyone about his feelings for her, but he never brought it up to Hudson directly, so the two went on to date other people (via EW). Add another entry to the Missed Connections column!
Thankfully, everything worked out for everyone involved: Kidman went on to marry Keith Urban in 2006, Hudson is now happily engaged to Danny Fujikawa, and Fallon has been married to Nancy Juvonen since 2007.
Despite the awkwardness, Nicole Kidman and Jimmy Fallon are still friends
Even though the situation was awkward between Nicole Kidman and Jimmy Fallon when she discussed their almost-relationship, the two have managed to stay friends. They even made a joke of the fiasco in 2016 when Kidman made another appearance on "The Tonight Show."
The pair sat down to talk about their previous exchange when, suddenly, Kidman's husband, Keith Urban, burst onto the stage with his guitar and started singing (via YouTube). For the duration of the interview, Urban remained seated next to his wife and even shifted at one point to place Kidman on his lap so he could sit directly next to Fallon instead. The whole thing is hilarious, and it proves that all three are good sports about the situation.
The "Big Little Lies" star made a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show" in September 2021, and she continued the longstanding joke with Fallon (via YouTube). He interviewed her via video chat because she was unable to make it in person. Kidman's reasoning? She wanted to be with Urban instead. "He's playing Vegas right now, which is why I couldn't be with you, because I chose him," she said (via ET). "I mean, in terms of the Vegas [thing]."
We're glad everyone has such a good sense of humor about the situation!