Olivia Wilde Denies Long Standing Rumor About Her Relationship With a ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Star

Nearly four years after Don’t Worry Darling became one of Hollywood’s most talked-about productions, Olivia Wilde is pushing back against one of the longest-running rumors surrounding the film – and says she wanted to do it much sooner.

In a new interview with The Cut, the director denied reports that her relationship with co-star Harry Styles led to tension on set or caused her to become unavailable during production. Wilde also disputed longstanding claims that she had a “screaming match” with lead actress Florence Pugh, saying the widely circulated stories were simply untrue.

“I’ve never had a screaming match on my set. I was never not available on set,” Wilde told the outlet. “I wanted to be like, ‘None of this is true.'” Wilde said she chose not to publicly address the rumors at the time because others advised her not to.

She went on to say she was advised to stay quiet on it. “I was told, ‘Don’t say a f***ing word. Just go out there and smile,'” she recalled. “I resent that, but it taught me it’s not the way I want to handle things.”

Wilde says she wanted to respond sooner

Rumors surrounding Don’t Worry Darling dominated headlines ahead of the film’s 2022 release. Reports claimed Wilde’s romance with Styles, which began while the pair worked together on the psychological thriller, caused friction behind the scenes. One widely circulated report alleged Pugh had become frustrated with Wilde’s alleged absences from set, ultimately leading to a confrontation between the actress and director.

Wilde now says those claims never reflected what actually happened during production.

She also reflected on how difficult it was to watch speculation become accepted as fact, saying she felt disconnected from the public image that emerged during the film’s promotional campaign. Wilde compared the experience to advice actress Jennifer Garner once gave her, describing how public figures can be “cast in a soap opera” and assigned simplified roles by audiences.

“I became the full-on villain. Like Cruella,” Wilde said. The director previously spoke about the controversy during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where she admitted she struggled with remaining silent while rumors continued to spread.

“I never felt more disconnected from the person that people were talking about,” she said at the time, adding that she wanted to correct misinformation but believed speaking out could ultimately hurt the hundreds of people who worked on the film.

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ crew previously defended the director

Wilde wasn’t the only person to reject reports of behind-the-scenes conflict. Shortly after the rumors surfaced in 2022, around 40 members of the Don’t Worry Darling crew released a joint statement defending the director, calling allegations of unprofessional behavior “completely false.”

The statement, signed by crew members including producer Katie Silberman, cinematographer Matthew Libatique, and costume designer Arianne Phillips, also denied that any screaming match had taken place on set and praised Wilde’s leadership throughout production.

While Don’t Worry Darling‘s release became overshadowed by off-screen speculation, Wilde’s latest comments mark one of her clearest responses yet to the rumors that have continued to follow the film years after it premiered.

(feature image: Warner Bros.)

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