At the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles on October 18, 2026, models walked to ADÉLA’s track “Nicole Kidman.” The twist was sitting in the front row: Nicole Kidman herself, beside Vanessa Bryant. Reports described her smiling, laughing and covering her face. A fashion show had briefly acquired a second runway, and it was an audience seat.
Why was her name in the soundtrack?
Slovak singer ADÉLA released “Nicole Kidman” in September. Its references to films such as Moulin Rouge! and Babygirl use the actress as a shorthand for confidence and glamour. PEOPLE reported Kidman smiling as the track played, while TMZ described a more bashful reaction. These accounts are based on the publications’ footage and reporting; this article does not claim to have independently played the video.
Kidman was already familiar with the track. On October 5, she joined Dua Lipa, Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig in a Paris Fashion Week lip-sync clip. The October 18 surprise, then, was not an unsuspecting celebrity hearing an unknown song. It was a celebrity hearing her own musical tribute in a public venue, while everyone around her could see the namesake sitting there.
Three real reaction angles
The phones turned toward the title. A report published October 19 quoted an Instagram poster saying that phones were pointed at Kidman when the song came on. That is the poster’s observation, not a measured claim about every person in the room. Still, imagine buying a seat for the runway and discovering that the soundtrack has assigned your camera a different subject.
Businesswear beats runway wear. In an October 19 Reddit photo thread, one commenter jokingly argued that Kidman could turn up in a full business suit and outshine the models. The actual outfit mixed a shirt and tie with a lingerie-inspired skirt. “Full business suit” was the commenter’s exaggeration, not an inventory of the clothes. She arrived dressed as an attendee; the comment promoted her to headliner.
The audience borrowed the name. The same October 19 coverage recorded fans playing along with the song’s “feel like Nicole” idea. A pop lyric about aspiring to a celebrity becomes wonderfully literal when that celebrity is seated a few rows away. The subject, the audience and the chorus have all entered the same room.
Original joke, not a quote
Usher: “The stars are on the runway.”
Sound desk: “Next track: ‘Nicole Kidman.’”
Camera operator: “Understood. Zooming in on Nicole Kidman.”
Usher: “She has a ticket!”
Camera operator: “The soundtrack says she has top billing.”
The models did the walking. The song did the casting.
The punchline
This was not a scandal or an accidental first listen. It was a self-aware pop-culture loop: ADÉLA named a song after Kidman, Kidman embraced it, and the show played it with Kidman in the audience. The performer of the song was absent from the runway, its inspiration never left her chair, and for a moment the front row got the biggest close-up.
References (5)
- Victoria’s Secret, official October 18 show page: https://www.victoriassecret.com/us/vs/vsinsider/fashionshow
- PEOPLE, Michelle Lee, October 18, 2026, on-site video/report: https://people.com/nicole-kidman-reacts-to-tate-mcrae-perform-at-2026-victorias-secret-fashion-show-12173879
- TMZ, October 19, 2026, on Kidman’s reaction: https://www.tmz.com/2026/10/19/nicole-kidman-blushes-adela-runway-song/
- October 19 report quoting social posts (not independently retrieved comments): https://www.aol.com/articles/nicole-kidman-awkwardly-giggles-victorias-135459000.html
- Reddit photo thread and directly accessible comments, October 19: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nicole_Kidman/comments/1x9n4g8/nicole_kidman_for_the_victorias_secret_2026/
