Young Nicole Kidman Dives with Sharks but Fears Butterflies

Fact: As a young Nicole Kidman, the first actress from Australia to win an Oscar for Best Actress, admits to being afraid of butterflies. She recalls the times after school when she’d see a beautiful butterfly perched on their gate. Kidman said she would climb the fence and go around to the side, rather than confronting a butterfly.

She hasn’t been able to defeat Lepidopterophobia (acute fear of butterflies) despite white-knuckling it in the butterfly cage at the American Museum of Natural History. Kidman doesn’t like the “feel of butterflies bodies”. Her fear of butterflies is baffling, considering she believes sharks are beautiful and is passionate about shark-diving. Additionally, Kidman is a licensed skydiver.