Persistent speculation about tensions between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh ended up dominating much of the conversation around the release of Don’t Worry Darling.
Now, Wilde is addressing the rumors that followed the thriller throughout its promotional rollout.
Reports at the time suggested the alleged fallout between Wilde and Pugh stemmed from the director’s romance with Harry Styles, with Pugh said to have been unhappy that Wilde was involved with the singer while still engaged to Jason Sudeikis.
Wilde directly pushed back on one particular allegation: that she and Pugh had a “screaming match” while filming the movie, which follows women unknowingly forced into 1950s-style domestic lives at the direction of their partners.
“I have never had a screaming match on my set. I was never not available on set. I wanted to be like, ‘None of this is true,’” she told the publication.
Wilde described the relationship as “loving and wonderful and joyful,” and it continued for almost two years.
Olivia Wilde has rejected claims that she had a “screaming match” with Florence Pugh while filming Don’t Worry Darling
Nick Kroll, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde appeared together on the Don’t Worry Darling red carpet in Venice in 2022
Yet the rumors contaminated not just the rollout of the film, but also followed Wilde and Styles around throughout their relationship.
Wilde, who directed the movie, claimed she was advised against speaking up about the speculation by the studio and other parties – a request she acquiesced to but now regrets.
‘I was told, “Don’t say a f**king word. Just go out there and smile”,’ Wilde, shaking her head, told The Cut. ‘I resent that, but it taught me it’s not the way I want to handle things.’
The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Pugh for comment.
At the time, a report in Page Six claimed Pugh took issue with Wilde for supposedly taking up with Harry while still engaged to Sudeikis.
The apparent feud intensified when Wilde referred to Pugh as ‘Miss Flo’ and said she needed a ‘wake-up call’ during the rehearsal period of the movie, in a video to actor Shia LaBeouf that was leaked.
At the time, Vulture reported that the director and her star got into a ‘screaming match’ with one another while filming the movie, as the director would often disappear with Styles.
‘Olivia and Harry would just disappear,’ an insider claimed to the outlet.
It had been reported the feud had begun as Pugh was upset seeing Wilde ‘hooking up’ with Styles while she was still engaged to Jason Sudeikis (Wilde and Sudeikis in 2013)
At the time, the feud was reported to have begun as a result of Wilde’s relationship with Harry Styles
Don’t Worry Darling starred Pugh as a young woman who is unknowingly sucked into a virtual reality by her boyfriend (Styles) where she is made to be a 1950s housewife
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According to an unnamed insider on the movie, Pugh and Wilde came to blows over Wilde’s ‘frequent, unexplained absences,’ on set which resulted in a ‘screaming match’ between the two women.
Wilde did praise Pugh when asked about the feud during a press conference for the film at the Venice Film Festival, which was not attended by Pugh due to previous filming obligations.
‘Can you just clear the air and address whether there has been a falling out there and if so why, because it’s something that people are discussing?’ the reporter asked.
Wilde responded: ‘Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune.’
‘I know as a director how disruptive it is 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 celebrate her work tonight.’
She continued: ‘I can’t say enough how honoured I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing in the film and, as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute, I think it’s sufficiently well nourished.’
The speculation was present as the cast attended the Venice International Film Festival, where their film premiered (L-R, Kroll, Pugh, Pine, Wilde, Sydney Chandler, Styles and Gemma Chan)
Wilde addressed the feud at the Venice Film Festival, calling her star ‘a force’
Wilde has two children with her ex, son Otis Alexander, 12, and daughter Daisy Josephine, 9
A total of 40 individuals who worked on the movie came forward to release a joint statement in an attempt to ‘correct’ the ‘absurd’ and ‘completely false’ claims made about the set
In addition, a total of 40 individuals who worked on the movie, including producer Miri Yoon, came forward to release a joint statement obtained by the Daily Mail after the movie came out, in an attempt to ‘correct’ the ‘absurd’ and ‘completely false’ claims that were made about the set.
‘As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous “sources” quoted in a recent article,’ the statement began.
‘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.
‘She ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved. There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our cast.’
Wilde and Styles have since split, and the separation was thought to be down to the pressures of his global touring and Wilde’s focus on her children in Los Angeles.
She has two children with Ted Lasso star Sudeikis, son Otis Alexander, 12, and daughter, Daisy Josephine, 9.
Harry’s new song Paint By Numbers is considered to be a break-up song about Olivia.
The lyrics go ‘You’re the luckiest, oh, the irony/ Holding the weight of the American children whose hearts you break/ Was it a tragedy when you told her/ ‘I’m not even 33?’
