The drama surrounding “Don’t Worry Darling” never truly stayed on the large screen. Long after the psychological thriller premiered, speculation about Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, and Harry Styles continued to dominate headlines.
Now, Wilde is revisiting the controversy herself, directly addressing a number of the most explosive rumors that plagued the film’s release while revealing why she remained silent because the speculation spiraled uncontrolled.
For years, rumors that Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh clashed behind the scenes became almost as famous as “Don’t Worry Darling” itself.
Reports suggested tensions grew during production, with much of the speculation centered on Wilde’s relationship with Styles.
Now, Wilde is firmly rejecting certainly one of the most important claims. Chatting with The Cut, she denied reports that she and Pugh had a heated confrontation while filming.
“I even have never had a screaming match on my set. I used to be never not available on set. I desired to be like, ‘None of that is true,’” Wilde said.
The filmmaker explained that the rumors portrayed each the production and her conduct on set in a distinct light.
In line with Wilde, much of the speculation overshadowed what the forged and crew were actually trying to perform with the thriller about women unknowingly forced into becoming Nineteen Fifties housewives by their partners.
Wilde Says She Regrets Staying Silent
Although the stories continued to spread, Olivia Wilde revealed she was discouraged from publicly responding on the time.
She said each the studio and others involved within the production advised her not to have interaction with the speculation.
“I used to be told, ‘Don’t say a f**king word. Just go on the market and smile,’” the 42-year-old recalled while shaking her head.
Looking back, she admitted that following that advice is something she now regrets.
“I resent that, but it surely taught me it’s not the best way I need to handle things,” Wilde shared.
The controversy prolonged beyond the film itself, following Wilde and Styles throughout their nearly two-year relationship, which she described as “loving and wonderful and joyful.”
Olivia Wilde Faced Claims About Harry Styles And Florence Pugh
Much of the reported tension stemmed from claims that Pugh disapproved of Wilde’s romance with Styles while Wilde was still engaged to Jason Sudeikis.
A report alleged that the English actress took issue with the connection, while additional scrutiny followed after a leaked video showed Wilde referring to the actress as “Miss Flo” and suggesting she needed a “wake-up call” during rehearsals in a conversation with actor Shia LaBeouf.
The speculation intensified even further when Vulture reported that each women had a “screaming match” after the director allegedly disappeared from set with Styles during filming.
One other unnamed source alleged that the 42-year-old’s “frequent, unexplained absences” eventually led to a confrontation between the 2 women.
Wilde Calls Pugh a ‘Force’ Amid Rumors Of Bad Blood
Despite those reports, Olivia Wilde consistently maintained there was no falling out. Through the “Don’t Worry Darling” press conference on the Venice Film Festival she publicly praised her leading actress as an alternative of fueling the rumors.
Asked directly whether there had been a falling out, Wilde responded per the Each day Mail, “Florence is a force and we’re so grateful that she is in a position to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune.”
She continued, “I do know as a director how disruptive it’s to lose an actor even for a day so I’m very grateful to her and Denis Villeneuve for helping us – we’re really thrilled we’ll get to have fun her work tonight.”
Wilde also dismissed the constant online speculation, saying, “I can’t say enough how honored I’m to have her as our lead. She’s amazing within the film and, as for all of the infinite tabloid gossip and all of the noise on the market, I mean, the web feeds itself. I don’t feel the necessity to contribute, I believe it’s sufficiently well nourished.”
Olivia Wilde Received Public Support From The Film’s Crew
The talk surrounding the production became so widespread that dozens of people that worked on “Don’t Worry Darling” eventually spoke out themselves.
Producer Miri Yoon joined nearly 40 crew members in signing a joint statement after the film’s release, pushing back against what they described as false reports about conditions on set.
“As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so happy with, but feel the necessity to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article,” the statement read.
The crew firmly rejected allegations of misconduct, adding, “Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set are completely false. Olivia is an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production.”
They continued by praising Wilde’s leadership throughout filming, noting, “She ran this set with class and respect for everybody involved. There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our forged.”