In a new interview with The Cut, Olivia Wilde says there was never a “screaming match” on the set of “Don’t Worry Darling,” nor was she “missed on set,” as was widely reported at the time. Wilde’s 2022 psychological thriller, headlined by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, has been mired in tabloid chaos amid rampant speculation about an apparent feud between Pugh and Wilde, as well as a romance between Wilde and Styles that allegedly began during production.
Vulture reported that a “big argument” broke out between Pugh and Wilde three-quarters of the way through production on “Don’t Worry Darling,” ahead of the film’s theatrical release in September 2022. Pugh was reportedly “tired of the director’s frequent and unexcused absences,” citing Wilde and Styles disappearing from set together during the height of their romance. Pugh reportedly contacted New Line Cinema’s then-chairman Toby Emmerich to ensure he did not need to “participate in any way in the film’s life cycle.”
“I never had a shouting match on set. I was never on set. I just wanted to say, ‘None of this is true,'” Wilde told The Cut, noting that the studio and film officials demanded he remain silent about all the alleged drama. “They told me, ‘Don’t say anything, just go out and smile.'” I resented it, but it taught me that that’s not how I want to handle things. ”
Summing up this turbulent career, Wilde looked to the advice Jennifer Garner gave her more than a decade ago: “She said it’s like being cast in a soap opera by the public. And they give you obvious archetypes: the damsel in distress, the good girl, the pretty girl. I became the perfect villain, like Cruella.”
Wilde previously expressed on “Call Her Daddy” that he regretted staying silent during the “Don’t Worry Darling” press debacle.
“I’ve never felt so disconnected from the person people are talking about, and it was very strange to see complete fiction treated like fact,” Wilde said. “I wanted to say, ‘Can I talk to someone?’ Can I say, ‘No, that’s not true.’ And I was like, “No, that doesn’t help.” It was really hard…I felt like I was representing hundreds of people[who worked on this film]. I was frustrated that I couldn’t protect myself, but that wasn’t (me) the problem…I think my own attempts to be strong and to overcome it in a way came across as inauthentic. ”
While rumors of unprofessionalism on the set of Don’t Worry Darling were rife, Wilde was fiercely defended by the crew. Following Vulture’s report about the screaming match between the director and Pugh, a group of 40 people who worked on the film released a joint statement in support of Wilde.
The crew, including producer Katie Silverman, cinematographer Matthew Libatique, and costume designer Arianne Phillips, denied that any such incident occurred, praising Wilde as “a great leader and director who was present and involved in every aspect of the production.” They emphasized, “Allegations regarding unprofessional conduct on the set of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ are completely false.”
“As a staff member, we have avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding this film, which we are proud of, but we feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘source’ quoted in a recent article,” the statement reads. “There was never a screaming match between our director and the rest of the cast, much less any member of the cast.”
“As real people who worked on this film and have witnessed and benefited from the supportive and safe space that Olivia has created as a director and leader, we are thrilled to put our names on this production,” the staff statement added.
