Nicole Kidman has filmed plenty of daring scenes throughout her career, but one moment from the 2012 thriller The Paperboy still sounds almost too outrageous to be real. During a beach sequence, her character urinates on Zac Efron's character after he suffers a jellyfish sting. And, remarkably, the actors weren't relying on a special-effects trick.

The incident has attracted renewed attention years after the film's release, but there's an important detail often missing from the story: director Lee Daniels confirmed what happened back in 2012. He also revealed that Kidman persuaded him to keep the scene when he began having second thoughts.

Why Nicole Kidman refused to let the scene be cut

In The Paperboy, Kidman plays Charlotte Bless, a woman involved with a death-row prisoner, while Efron portrays Jack Jansen, the younger brother of a journalist investigating a murder conviction.

When Jack is stung by jellyfish while swimming, Charlotte attempts to relieve his pain using an unconventional remedy. What viewers might reasonably assume was simulated was, according to those involved, filmed for real.

Speaking to Vulture in October 2012, Daniels explained that neither he nor his actors had been particularly nervous about shooting the sequence. His doubts emerged afterwards, while editing the film.

He worried that the scene might be too vulgar to include and contacted Kidman about potentially removing it. The actress, having already committed to performing it, was having none of that.

Daniels recalled Kidman reminding him of what she had done for the film and telling him he needed to "man up" rather than abandon the footage.

The director ultimately kept the scene, which became one of the film's most widely discussed moments following its Cannes premiere in May 2012.

Efron also addressed the experience at the time. In an October 2012 interview, he confirmed that while he hadn't actually endured a jellyfish sting, the rest of the sequence was largely real.

For Kidman, however, the moment was never intended to be shocking simply for its own sake. In a December 2012 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she explained that she approached it as dark comedy rather than a sexual scene. Charlotte's behaviour reflected her protective, possessive attitude towards Jack.

There's one thing the movie gets wrong about jellyfish stings

Although the unconventional treatment provided one of the film's most memorable scenes, it shouldn't be mistaken for genuine medical advice.

The belief that urine helps relieve jellyfish stings is a longstanding myth. The UK's National Health Service specifically advises against urinating on a sting.

Instead, its guidance recommends seeking medical or first-aid assistance, rinsing the affected area with seawater rather than fresh water, and soaking it in very warm water for at least 30 minutes. Serious symptoms, including breathing difficulties or chest pain, require emergency medical attention.

So while the extraordinary story about Kidman and Efron is genuine, two things are worth separating from the Hollywood legend: the scene was publicly discussed when the film was released in 2012, and the remedy depicted on screen is not one anyone should attempt to recreate.