The 'Don't Worry Darling' director rehashes some of the biggest dramas surrounding her production.
Olivia Wilde is doubling down and addressing everything from her Don't Worry Darling drama to her high-profile split from Jason Sudeikis in the new issue of Vanity Fair.
In an interview published on Thursday, the 38-year-old director doesn't mince words when asked about a rumor that she and current boyfriend Harry Styles -- who also stars in her film -- began dating while she was still involved with her ex-fiance and the father of her two children, Sudeikis.
"The complete horses**t idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate," she tells Vanity Fair. "Our relationship was over long before I met Harry. Like any relationship that ends, it doesn’t end overnight. Unfortunately, Jason and I had a very bumpy road, and we officially dissolved the relationship towards the beginning of the pandemic. We were raising two kids during lockdown, so we co-parented through that time. Once it became clear that cohabitating was no longer beneficial for the children, it became the responsible thing to not, because we could be better parents as friends who live in different houses."
Wilde's relationship with Sudeikis appears to have become increasingly contentious in recent months as the pair continue to navigate an escalating custody battle over their children Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5.
Meanwhile, Wilde's professional life has also been plagued with spectacle as reports of tension continue to surface between the Don't Worry Darling director and her star, Florence Pugh.
"It is very rare that people assume the best from women in power,” Wilde says, addressing the gossip that has flooded the internet recently. "I think they don’t often give us the benefit of the doubt. Florence did the job I hired her to do, and she did it exquisitely. It is ironic that now, with my second film–which is again about the incredible power of women, what we’re capable of when we unite, and how easy it is to strip a woman of power by using other women to judge and shame them -- we’re talking about this."
Pugh's noted absence from promotional events and general silence about her role in the film has been perceived by some as a conscious dig against Wilde.
"Florence is one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe," Wilde says. "She’s on set on Dune. I gather that some people expect for her to be engaging more on social media. I didn’t hire her to post. I hired her to act. She fulfilled every single expectation I had of her. That’s all that matters to me."
After skipping a press conference for the film at the Venice Film Festival, Pugh did attend the red carpet premiere. Still, fan fodder surrounding the event ensued, following an alleged incident in which Styles appeared to have spit on co-star Chris Pine (a situation which the latter's rep vehemently denies, and the former recently joked about during a performance).
For her part, Wilde remains steadfast in her dedication to promoting the project.
"No amount of internet bullying can cause me to question my belief in a movie made collectively by so many brilliant people," she declares. "We worked too hard, and went through too much together, to be derailed by something that really has nothing to do with filmmaking."
Reports regarding even more tension between Wilde and Shia LaBeouf -- who was originally cast in the role that eventually went to Styles -- surfaced after Vanity Fair's initial interview with the director. Through a series of he-said-she-said commentary in the media, Wilde claims to have fired LaBeouf while he claimed to have quit.
"This issue is so much more nuanced than can be explained in private texts released out of context. All I’ll say is he was replaced, and there was no going forward with him. I wish him the best in his recovery," Wilde says of the situation, while a source tells VF that the truth lay somewhere in the middle of their stories.
The mag reports that LaBeouf was unhappy with Pugh's lack of available rehearsal time, while Pugh was uncomfortable with LaBeouf's intensity. Forced to make a choice between the two actors, Wilde reportedly went with Pugh and -- to spare LaBeouf's ego -- "allowed him to believe what he wanted to believe: that he was quitting."
Head spinning from all the Don't Worry Darling drama? Fear not. ET is untangling the story highlights here.
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