A feud has apparently developed between Don’t Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde and the film’s star, Florence Pugh, with the latter refusing to participate in any promotion of the upcoming thriller. When the trailer for Don't Worry Darling was released online, Pugh made no mention of the film on social media, instead taking the opportunity to share a poster for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, in which she also has a role. She is also skipping press engagements for the film during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival premiere, though she will walk the red carpet. That could be explained by her busy schedule, including the ongoing filming of Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 2, yet it is still rare for the star of a film to be absent during the press tour.
Not only is Florence Pugh limiting her part in the promotion of Don’t Worry Darling, but she has also made no mention of Olivia Wilde recently, despite initially praising the director/co-star when first announcing her involvement in the project. When asked about the film since its completion, Pugh commended the work of the crew and her co-star Harry Styles but has left Wilde’s name out in a way that seems very telling. Meanwhile, Wilde has gone out of her way to heap praise on Pugh in interviews and social media posts. None of these complimentary posts were shared or liked by Pugh, who also declined to speak to Variety for their profile on the director. Florence Pugh’s multiple upcoming projects could simply be keeping her too busy for interviews related to Don't Worry Darling, though it may also be further evidence of a disagreement between the two.
There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the possible feud between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh, though there has been no confirmation from either that they are at odds with each other. Some theories as to the cause of a potential rift have been addressed by Wilde, but mostly in an indirect manner. Here are the rumors being spread as the reason for Pugh’s change in attitude toward Wilde since first announcing her involvement in Don’t Worry Darling.
Pay Disparity Between Pugh and Harry Styles For Don’t Worry Darling
Singer and songwriter Harry Styles has used his international stardom to land many high-profile acting roles, including his brief appearance as Thanos’s brother Starfox in Eternals. This fame could be behind the rumor that Styles was paid three times as much as Florence Pugh for Don’t Worry Darling. This is one of the few reasons for a possible severed relationship with Pugh that Olivia Wilde has addressed directly. She stated that there “is absolutely no validity to those claims,” and that “invented clickbait and subsequent reaction regarding a nonexistent pay disparity between our lead and supporting actors really upset me” (via Variety). However, this rumor would be much easier to dispute if the amount each star was paid were to be made public, especially since it could be difficult to take Wilde’s word at face value after Shia LaBeouf exposed a lie she told while promoting the movie.
Wilde Took Shia LaBeouf’s Side Over Pugh In Dispute
Since becoming a movie star following his role as Sam Witwicky in the Transformers franchise, Shia LaBeouf has had a rocky career and public life, including recent bad press regarding his alleged abuse toward former girlfriend FKA Twigs. This could be why Olivia Wilde told Variety that she fired LaBeouf from Don’t Worry Darling, stating that “his process was not conducive to the ethos I demand in my productions” while also claiming to have a “no a-holes policy.” LaBeouf refuted this claim and shared a video sent to him from the director in which Wilde says, “This is a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo” while suggesting Florence Pugh was the one who needed to really commit to make the situation work (via Variety). It's possible the Midsommar star now holds some resentment toward Wilde for refusing to stand up for her, and possibly even taking LaBeouf’s side in a dispute between the actors.
Pugh and Wilde Disagree About Don’t Worry Darling’s Sex Scenes
While there is still much we don’t know about Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde has been quite candid about details regarding the sex scenes. When discussing the movie, she made a point of saying only women orgasm in Don’t Worry Darling and that sex was “integral to the story itself.” In contrast, Pugh seemed to refute this point, voicing disappointment that attention on the film has been reduced to “sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone” (via Harper's Bazaar). If Pugh and Wilde disagreed over the direction of the narrative in Don’t Worry Darling or the emphasis placed on sex scenes, this could have understandably led to a contentious relationship between the two. It may also explain Pugh playing down the promotion of the upcoming film.
Wilde Was Distracted By Styles On Set of Don’t Worry Darling
Olivia Wilde is currently dating Don’t Worry Now actor Harry Styles, following her public break-up with Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis. The exact timeline of their relationship is in question, though the pair were first spotted holding hands in public two months after Wilde’s split with then-fiancé Sudeikis. There are rumors that the director and Styles began an affair during the filming of Don’t Worry Darling, and that cinematographer Matthew Libatique had to step in and direct when Wilde became too distracted with the budding romance. While there is no concrete evidence to support this theory, it might explain why Pugh has chosen to praise Libatique while remaining silent about Wilde’s contribution to the production.
A Love Triangle With Styles Between Pugh And Wilde
Another popular rumor circulating is that both Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh had a romantic interest in the former One Direction band member, which sounds plausible given the worldwide desirability of Harry Styles. However, there is no evidence whatsoever to substantiate this theory. When dealing with beautiful and famous movie stars, speculation can often take precedence over facts, especially when they are playing romantic partners and with graphic sex scenes between them being used in promoting the film.
Pugh Is Taking Sides in Wilde’s Split With Jason Sudeikis
Rumors have also been perpetuated that Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles began an on-set affair prior to her break-up with Jason Sudeikis. This could have made Florence Pugh uncomfortable, given the fact that she has a friendly relationship with Sudeikis that began when she was dating his friend, Zach Braff. To make matters worse, Sudeikis visited the set with the children he shares with Wilde, which would have put Pugh in an uncomfortable position. If this is true, it would explain Pugh’s decision to limit how much time she spends discussing Olivia Wilde and Don’t Worry Darling. It remains to be seen whether this or any of the other rumors affect audiences’ decision to buy tickets to see Don’t Worry Darling when it is released in the US on September 23.