Don't Worry Darling Director Olivia Wilde Addresses Reports of Feud With Florence Pugh

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The talent involved in the upcoming thriller Don't Worry Darling has made it one of the more anticipated releases of the fall movie season, though some of the attention it has earned has been related to rumors of behind-the-scenes drama, which director Olivia Wilde was quick to refute during a press conference for the film. While Wilde's romantic relationship with star Harry Styles is enough to fuel the tabloids, recent discrepancies in reports about why Shia LaBeouf left the project has earned some gossip, which resulted in rumors about a falling out between Wilde and star Florence Pugh. Only fueling those rumors further was the reveal that Pugh wouldn't be doing press for the film, with Wilde going on to praise the performer and note that lack of press was due to Pugh's commitments to Dune, while also noting that the Internet has a way of fueling nonexistent flames. Don't Worry Darling hits theaters on September 23rd.

"Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune," Wilde shared at a press conference during the Venice International Film Festival when asked by a journalist to "clear the air" about the rumors. "I know as a director how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day so I'm very grateful to her and [Dune director] Denis Villeneuve for helping us -- we're really thrilled we'll get to celebrate her work tonight."

She continued, "I can't say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead. She's amazing in the film and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don't feel the need to contribute, I think it's sufficiently well nourished."

Last month, Wilde claimed that LaBeouf was fired from the project based on his approach to rehearsing and preparation, as she noted it was more aggressive and combative than she expected from a performer. LaBeouf then offered a public retort, claiming he quit the project based on not having the appropriate time to rehearse with his costars. This also included him sharing text and email exchanges to verify these claims, which included a video Wilde sent him of herself in which she thought "Miss Flo" would experience a "wake-up call" from the situation.

These seemingly condescending remarks in conjunction with Pugh not doing press resulted in the rumor mill being ignited. Pugh has yet to weigh in on the situation.

Don't Worry Darling hits theaters on September 23rd.

What do you think of Wilde's remarks? Let us know in the comments!  

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