Jimmy Fallon reveals he was ‘blindsided’ by Nicole Kidman bringing up their dating history

Jimmy Fallon has revealed that he was “blindsided” by Nicole Kidman bringing up their unsuccessful dating history.

The 49-year-old comedian reflected on a 2015 interview with Kidman during a recent episode of 20 Questions: On Deadline. He recalled that during the previous conversation with Kidman, he was stunned that she brought up a time when they were once on a date.

“Nicole Kidman totally blindsided me on my show," he recalled of the viral moment. “We were just there to talk about one of her movies or something she was going to win an award for. She was great and she looked amazing and we were talking and she goes, ‘Did you know that we dated?’”

Fallon went on to describe his embarrassment during the situation while recalling what he told her about the date they’d been on.

“And I go, ‘Excuse me?’ She goes, ‘Do you remember like I had a crush on you and I came over to your apartment?’ And my face just melted,” he said. “It was the most embarrassing thing.”

He then acknowledged that while he “of course” remembered when Kidman came over, he thought she was there to do a chemistry read, to see if he should be in her movie, Bewitched. The part Fallon was being considered for at the time ultimately went to Will Ferrell.

During a 2015 episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the pair first recalled how Kidman went to Fallon’s apartment after they connected through a mutual friend.

“I’m walking down the street in New York City, and my friend Rick calls me and says, ‘Dude, what are you doing? I have Nicole Kidman with me and she wants to meet you to be in Bewitched or something like that…I can be in your apartment in like 10 minutes,’” Fallon said, before pointing out that he was not prepared to host people in his home.

However, Kidman then recalled what she remembered about the occasion, noting she had a crush on Fallon back then.

“I just remember I liked you. Not now, I am married now,” she said, referring to her husband Keith Urban, prompting the TV host to respond: “Wait, what’s going on?”

The Big Little Lies star then recalled how her pal urged her to go to Fallon’s apartment, adding: “But Rick, our mutual friend says,  ‘Jimmy wants to meet you…you can go over to his apartment,’ and I’m single and I’m like, ‘OK, yeah cool.’”

Fallon was once again stunned by the news, as he raised his hands and shouted: “Did I date Nicole Kidman? Did we go on a date?”

Kidman recalled that while she was at the apartment, Fallon “wouldn’t talk,” before the TV host confessed that he was “very nervous”. He once again said that he didn’t realise they were on a date, adding: “I didn’t know this was a thing, I thought it was a movie or something.”

The Eyes Wide Shut star continued to describe her time with Fallon – who’s been married to Nancy Juvonen since 2007 – and how she realised she wasn’t a match with her then-crush.

“Well it was like a hang and then you put a video game on or something and I was like, ‘This is so bad,’” she continued. “And you didn’t talk at all. So after about an hour and a half, I thought, ‘He has no interest, this is so embarrassing.’ And I kind of left, and went, ‘OK, no chemistry.’ And then I was like,  ‘Maybe he’s gay!’”

After Kidman told the story, Fallon briefly left the set out of embarrassment, before later returning to the couch, while his pal was in his chair. However, after sharing a few laughs, the two switched places, and Fallon returned to his desk.

During his recent appearance on 20 Questions: On Deadline, Fallon shared how Kidman’s previous crush on him has become a joke between him and her husband.

“I went up to [Keith] at the Met Gala, I saw him last time and I go, ‘Hey, I think that we might have dated once,’ and he was laughing,” Fallon said. “He goes, ‘Nicole’s talking to someone across the table. Why don’t you go and just hold her hand? She’ll think it’s me and then I’ll go around the table and wave at her.”

Fallon confessed that when he grabbed Kidman’s hand, she held him “like it was Keith’s probably”. However, once Urban came up to her, she realised she was holding Fallon’s hand and let go, before she said: “What? Jimmy what are you doing?” From there, the comedian told her that the prank was Urban’s idea.