The ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Era Wasn’t Easy on Olivia Wilde
A wild experience.
Olivia Wilde just opened up about the chaos of the Don’t Worry Darling era. She’s still processing how surreal it all was. In a recent interview on Call Her Daddy, the director admitted she wanted to step in and correct the record during the film’s messy press cycle but was told it wouldn’t help. That decision left her feeling disconnected from the version of herself the public was dissecting. Now, with her new film The Invite hitting theaters June 26, she’s hoping for a smoother ride.
The Don’t Worry Darling press tour was a masterclass in how quickly narratives spiral out of control. Wilde recalled the absurdity of the moment when rumors about Harry Styles allegedly spitting on co-star Chris Pine dominated headlines. According to Rolling Stone, that same night at the Venice Film Festival, Florence Pugh skipped the photo op with Wilde entirely, adding another layer of tension to an already fraught situation.
Just months earlier, Wilde had gone viral for a completely different reason – being served custody papers mid-presentation at CinemaCon. It was a perfect storm of public spectacle and private turmoil.
Wilde described feeling insulated from the chaos
Wilde described the experience as living in a bubble where the outside world felt like a tornado. “There was all this public madness, but my private life was very far from it,” she said. “And very, actually kind of wholesome and sweet. I had a lot of real joy and love and happiness during that time. It was like the tornado was right outside the door and if you were inside, you were like, ‘It’s so nice,’ and then you’d open the door and a f—ing cow and a tractor would fly by.”
The disconnect between her reality and the public narrative was jarring. “It was also very strange to see complete fiction traded as fact,” she added.
The reviews didn’t do her any favors, either. One critic called Don’t Worry Darling “Olivia Wilde’s f— you to the patriarchy,” but added it “isn’t what you’d call ‘good.’” Looking back, Wilde isn’t sure she made the right call by staying silent. “I think that my own attempt to be strong and to kind of like rise above it in a way came off as inauthentic,” she admitted. It’s a tough balance – speaking up risks feeding the fire, but staying quiet can make you feel invisible.
The backlash wasn’t just about the film
Wilde’s relationship with Styles became a lightning rod for criticism, and she’s still unpacking why. On Call Her Daddy, she reflected on the double standards at play. “Men, who are in positions of power, date younger women all the time, and everyone’s like… And? There’s no question,” host Alex Cooper pointed out, per Entertainment Weekly. Wilde agreed, calling the reaction “crazy” and admitting she doesn’t fully understand it. “People were f—ing pissed,” she said bluntly.
Part of the outrage, she believes, stemmed from the “parasocial relationship” fans had with Styles. “It is something that… We’ve done this to women for a long time,” she said. “Why is it? I don’t know.” She described their relationship as “very domestic and kind and lovely,” but that happiness seemed to fuel the backlash. “It’s almost like the happiness made them mad,” she said. “I would go to his shows and dance, and people were like, ‘Oh! How could she? … How dare you dance and smile?’”
Wilde also pointed out the hypocrisy of the scrutiny. At the time, her ex, Jason Sudeikis, was dating someone with a larger age gap, yet no one batted an eye. “There is an expectation, especially as a mother, that when you go through that public separation with the kids involved, you are supposed to be self-sacrificing and you need to be sexless,” Cooper noted. Wilde’s response was dry: “You move to a convent.”
Wilde seems ready to move on
Now, with The Invite on the horizon, Wilde seems ready to leave the Don’t Worry Darling drama behind. The new film, which stars herself alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, hasn’t faced the same level of chaos, at least not yet. No spitgate 2.0, no custody papers mid-press tour, no parasocial meltdowns. Maybe this time, the focus will stay on the work.
It’s hard not to wonder if Wilde’s experience will change how she navigates future projects. The urge to set the record straight is understandable, but the fear of making things worse is real. For now, she’s choosing to move forward, even if the scars of the past few years are still fresh. If The Invite avoids the same pitfalls, it might just be the fresh start she needs. Either way, it’s clear the Don’t Worry Darling era left its mark, not just on her career, but on how she sees herself.
(Featured image: Colleen Sturtevant)
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