Exploring the strange controversy of Olivia Wilde’s ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
At the start of 2022, there were few films as anticipated as the release of Olivia Wilde’s brand new movie Don’t Worry Darling, a mysterious drama starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles and Chris Pine. Wilde had earned the hype, too, releasing the celebrated comedy Booksmart in 2019, starring the likes of Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte.
Though, as time went on, it was clear that the production of Don’t Worry Darling wasn’t exactly plain sailing, with the director clashing with various cast members, among other issues. Steadily, fans became less excited about the actual movie and were instead fixated on the next slice of drama that would fall from the ever-giving promotion of the film.
This drama ramped up in recent weeks, following the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and with the film mere weeks away from being released to the general public, fans are very excited. So, to keep you up to date with everything that’s been going down, we’ve put together a handy guide that summarises the key points of behind-the-scenes drama.
Olvia Wilde, Harry Styles and Jason Sudeikis
In November 2020, long-time partners Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis broke up after nine years together. Having been engaged for seven years and sharing two children, news of their split rocked the production of Wilde’s film.
Though, despite their breakup mere months ago, on January 4th, 2021, 28-year-old Harry Styles and 38-year-old Olivia Wilde began dating, drastically changing the dynamic of the cast and crew on set. Reportedly, the couple began disappearing off with each other on set, disrupting the flow of production whilst frustrating co-stars Florence Pugh and Chris Pine, who could regularly not find the pair.
This relationship simmered until April 2022, when Wilde was publicly handed custody papers from her ex Jason Sudeikis whilst on stage at CinemaCon, stoking an already raging fire of drama sparked by the movie.
Amid the recent flames of drama, in July 2022, Page Six suggested that the relationship between Wilde and Styles may have started as an affair. An insider close to the magazine stated, “I can tell you for a fact that Flo seeing Olivia and Harry all over each other on set did not go down well as Olivia was still with Jason [Sudeikis] when she first hooked up with Harry”.
What happened between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh?
Back in July 2022, fans of actor Florence Pugh began to notice her distinct lack of marketing for the release of her forthcoming movie, Don’t Worry Darling, instead preferring to promote her 2023 collaboration with Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer; the rumour mill began to churn.
Mere days after this, a source close to Page Six told the publication of the rift between Pugh, Harry Styles and director Olivia Wilde. Breaking up with her boyfriend, Jason Sudeikis, during the production, Pugh wasn’t at all happy with the flirting between Styles and Wilde. “I can tell you for a fact that Flo seeing Olivia and Harry all over each other on set did not go down well, as Olivia was still with Jason [Sudeikis] when she first hooked up with Harry,” the report from the magazine states.
Rumours of the feud began to spread until a month later, in mid-August, when Pugh spoke to Harper’s Bazaar and added fuel to the fire when she said that she wasn’t happy with the film being reduced to mere sex scenes. Speaking to the magazine, she stated, “When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it. It’s not why I’m in this industry…[this movie is] bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that”.
It is thought that this is the basis for the drama between Pugh and Wilde, with the actor being ultimately unhappy with her time on set, as well as how the film, in general, was being marketed.
This drama went two ways too, with Wilde calling the actor “Miss Flo” which was taken by the public in a derogatory manner.
What happened between Olivia Wilde and Shia LaBeouf?
Originally meant to play the love interest in the movie, Shia LaBeouf left the role in August 2020 and was hastily replaced by the former One Direction band member, Harry Styles. Whilst this didn’t seem too controversial initially, further down the line, the true reasons for his departure became the subject of even more internet discussion.
Speaking in an interview with Variety, Wilde tried to explain the situation, stating, “As someone who is such an admirer of his work, (LaBeouf’s) process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work”.
Only days later, Shia LaBeouf responded, sending a message to Variety which detailed his correspondence with Wilde at the time of his departure from the film. Included within this, the actor sends the publication a recent email he’d sent to Wilde that stated, “You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse”.
The basis of his claims are that he quit Don’t Worry Darling, he wasn’t fired. Included in this pack of resources sent to Variety was a video from Wilde filmed in August 2020. In the video, the director stated, “I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I, too, am heartbroken, and I want to figure this out. You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me…I respect your point of view, I respect hers—but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?”.
Don’t Worry Darling at Venice Film Festival
This all leads to the Venice Film Festival, where Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, Harry Styles and Chris Pine all found themselves embroiled in a delectable slice of culminating drama. It all started when Pugh skipped the press day for Don’t Worry Darling after a late scheduled flight.
Asked publicly about the feud between her and Pugh, Wilde stated during the festival, “Florence is a force. We are so grateful she’s able to make it tonight [for the red carpet] despite being in production on Dune…I can’t say how honoured I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing. As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, the Internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute; I think it’s sufficiently well-nourished”.
Avoiding eye contact with Wilde during the film’s screening at the festival, fans were quick to notice Pugh’s lack of interest, with such seemingly confirmed by her decision to skip the American premiere of the movie. Granted, whilst this may seem controversial, her commitments to the sci-fi sequel Dune: Part II makes her schedule quite complicated.
Whilst the festival brought the feud between Wilde and Pugh into light, it also sparked even more drama when Harry Styles appeared to spit on Chris Pine during a screening. The video seems to show conclusive proof of the spit, yet a representative for Pine denied the allegations, stating, “This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation. Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men, and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist”.
Following the festival, Styles even bizarrely joked about the incident, telling his audience at Madison Square Garden it’s “wonderful to be back in New York, I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine”.
Even with the film very close to release across the world, we don’t think this will be the end of the Don’t Worry Darling drama.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.