Olivia Wilde has responded to speculation over a rift between her and Don’t Worry Darling colleague Florence Pugh.
The latter leads the thriller, which is directed by and co-stars Wilde, that focuses on a young couple (played by Pugh and Harry Styles) in the 1950s whose happy marriage begins to unravel when she starts to become suspicious of a secret project he is working on.
However, reports have emerged in recent months of a falling out between Pugh and Wilde, something the latter has responded to in a new press conference â which Pugh was not in attendance at â ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
“Florence is a force,” she said (via Variety). “We are so grateful sheâs able to make it tonight [for the red carpet] despite being in production on Dune.
“I know, as a director, how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day, so Iâm very grateful to her, and to [Dune director Denis Villeneuve] for helping us. And weâll get to celebrate her work tonight. I canât say how honoured I am to have her as our lead. Sheâs amazing.”
Wilde added: “As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, the Internet feeds itself. I donât feel the need to contribute; I think itâs sufficiently well-nourished.”
According to Variety, the festival said that Pugh was filming in Budapest, Hungary for Dune, and her flight would only arrive after the conference, meaning she would not have time to speak to the media. However, photos did emerge of the actress at the festival within the hour.
During the conference, Wilde was also asked about Shia LaBeouf‘s allegation that he wasn’t fired from Don’t Worry Darling (his role was eventually taken over by Styles), despite suggestions from Wilde â however, the panel moderator reportedly effectively blocked the question.
In a recent interview with Variety, Wilde said that LaBeouf was fired from the film to create a âsafe, trusting environmentâ, though the actor reportedly sent an email to the site afterwards claiming he âquit the film due to lack of rehearsal timeâ.
Variety was shown screenshots of text messages he reportedly sent to Wilde back in August 2020, saying he would have to leave the role.
LaBeouf and Wilde met in person in Los Angeles on August 16, 2020, according to the texts, to discuss his exit, Wilde writing: âThanks for letting me in on your thought process. I know that isnât fun. Doesnât feel good to say no to someone, and I respect your honesty.â LaBeouf says he âofficiallyâ quit the film the next day.
The post Olivia Wilde (sort of) responds to rumours of a Florence Pugh rift appeared first on NME.
 responds to rumours of a Florence Pugh rift){kind=link}