Why Nicole Kidman Can't Stand Giada De Laurentiis

One of the most amusing feuds in pop culture might be between actor Nicole Kidman and celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, which all started when in 2017, the two appeared on The Ellen Show for a cooking segment. Ellen DeGeneres' talk show clip is arguably one of the most awkward segments of television you will ever see, although it's hard to tell exactly where the supposed beef truly started. 

But first, let's recap the cringey clip. De Laurentiis, who specializes in Italian cuisine, was going to demonstrate for DeGeneres and Kidman how to make arancini, or deep-fried, cheesy rice balls. As they began, De Laurentiis tried to joke with Kidman, implying that she didn't know how to cook. "Nicole, have you ever made meatballs... or anything?" she said, per W Magazine. Kidman didn't answer her, but she seemingly did roll her eyes. 

Then, when Kidman presented De Laurentiis with the finished arancini, the chef kept going with her schtick, quipping, "The woman who can't cook made the perfect ball!" Needless to say, it all went downhill from there.

So how bad did this so-called spat get? Put on your best apron because this feud between Kidman and De Laurentiis is about to get messy. 

After implying that Nicole Kidman can't cook, Giada De Laurentiis doubled-down on her "ball" jokes, even as she moved on to making focaccia bread. Not only that, but the chef even called Kidman, a real-life Hollywood Queen, "honey." Kidman raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes throughout the segment, seemingly showing that she wasn't feeling the chef's sense of humor. And after one too many ball puns, Kidman reminded De Laurentiis that The Ellen Show is "family-friendly." Even Ellen, who always knows how to make the best out of a sticky situation, appeared uncomfortable. 

The tension intensified when the trio tried the focaccia, with Kidman getting her revenge. "I know you're not meant to criticize, but it's a little tough," she said, per TIME, which prompted DeGeneres to almost spit out her pizza. As for De Laurentiis? She was not having it, arguing that the focaccia had been pre-made and sat out for hours before the demo, as is customary for cooking shows. The mom also seemed to imply that she wasn't thrilled to do the cooking demo, explaining, per W Magazine, "There's a new season of Food Network Star, which is the only reason I'm here."

Bottom line? Don't shade De Laurentiis' bread.

Just one year after the feud, Giada De Laurentiis returned to The Ellen Show in 2018 for a different cooking segment, but Ellen DeGeneres was quick to bring up the past. DeGeneres mentioned how there were a few "hiccups" last time and jokingly blamed Nicole Kidman, to which De Laurentiis took the bait. "Now this is to redeem myself from Nicole Kidman," she replied, per People. "She's not here, right? I know you surprise people with people coming out of things." Luckily for the chef, Kidman wasn't there. 

Although De Laurentiis and Kidman have seemingly moved on publicly, fans still get a kick out of the initial segment today. "If you ever want to study the art of the Female Shade, watch this video over and over again," someone commented on the YouTube clip. "You'll catch something new every time."

Another person added, "Giada started everything. I dunno but she kind of set the tone for all the tensed up atmosphere. Like calm down, you're trying to teach them how to cook not training them for Master Chef."

Viewers might never know why De Laurentiis seemingly came for Nicole Kidman, but luckily, we have the awkward clip to relive and examine over and over and over again. 

Look, you can decide for yourself who was responsible for the super awkward Ellen segment involving Nicole Kidman and Giada De Laurentiis, but the fact is that fans were still left wondering one thing after the show: Can Nicole Kidman cook? Was De Laurentiis telling the truth about the actor's supposed lack of culinary skill? Well, it turns out that there may have been a reason why Kidman was simply rolling her eyes and snapping back at De Laurentiis instead of defending herself by listing all of the delicious dishes that she can whip up. It turns out that she really can't cook after all.

"I don't cook, I hate to say it," Kidman told Australian radio show Jonesy & Amanda (via the Daily Mail) in 2019. "I do a grilled cheese [sandwich] but that's about it. I wish I could say I was a brilliant cook!"

While Kidman may not be able to handle complicated recipes, she did share a snack idea with Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern. "Nicole taught me about apple and cinnamon and it's changed my life," Dern dished on Late Night with Seth Meyers (via WSFM 101.7).That certainly sounds yummier than bugs, which is something that Kidman is also apparently willing to nibble. Although, she did seem to like the creepy critters more than De Laurentiis' focaccia.