Studio execs and crew members who worked on Don’t Worry Darling have refuted claims Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh got into a “screaming match” on set.
Over the weekend, Vulture fuelled rumours of a feud between the film’s director and lead actress, as they reported that the pair had a “blowout argument” mid-production.
In response to the article, 40 members of the film’s crew and production team released a statement denying any screaming matches took place on set.
In a statement to PEOPLE, they said: “As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article.”
“Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set of Don’t Worry Darling are completely false.”
They also said Olivia was “an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production,” and insisted she “ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved.”
“There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our cast,” the statement continued.
“We are happy to put our names on this, as real people who worked on the film, and who
have witnessed and benefitted from the collaborative and safe space Olivia creates as a
director and leader.”
Warner Bros. executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy also told Page Six in a statement: “We are so proud of the work that Olivia Wilde has done making this incredibly beautiful and entertaining film and look forward to collaborating with her again.”
“The studio is very grateful and appreciative of the tireless support by Olivia in bringing her vision to life from production through release. Any suggestion of conflict between the studio and Olivia is simply not true.”
Vulture’s report about Olivia and Florence hit headlines over the weekend, amid rumours of a feud between them.
An insider who reportedly spent “significant time” on set claimed that the “blowout argument” took place in January 2021 – about three-quarters of the way through production.
In the lead-up to the alleged row, Florence is said to have grown increasingly frustrated with Olivia’s “frequent, unexplained absences,” which may have been in part due to her relationship with Harry Styles.
The source claimed: “Olivia and Harry would just disappear.”
The tension between the two women reportedly came to a head when the “screaming match” occurred.
Shia LaBeouf intensified the feud rumours last month, when he rebutted Olivia’s claims that she “fired” him from his role in Don’t Worry Darling.
The actor was originally cast as Jack Chambers in the film, but was later replaced by Harry Styles.
In an interview with Variety, the director alleged she had “fired” Shia because his “combative energy” was not “conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions”.
Olivia also alleged that she knew she was “going to be asking Florence to be in vulnerable situations” and her “priority was making [Florence] feel safe and making her feel supported”.
Shia then contacted Variety to dispute Olivia’s claims, revealing that he “quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time”.
In an email Shia wrote to Olivia following her Variety interview, he said: “Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth.”
“So I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can. I hope none of this negatively effects [sic] you, and that your film is successful in all the ways you want it to be.”
Olivia reportedly sent a video, which has since leaked online, to the actor two days after his alleged quitting, saying: “I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I, too, am heartbroken and I want to figure this out.”
SOMEONE HOLD ME BACK
(the video olivia sent shia where she basically begged him to stay on the movie after ADMITTING that she knows shia makes florence uncomfortable) pic.twitter.com/ihlHOQlF6B
— percy 🌊 || who the fuck is gonna stop us? (@percystardust) August 26, 2022
Seemingly referencing his co-star Florence, she reportedly continued: “You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us.”
“If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace… and I respect your point of view, I respect hers… but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?”
Florence has not been promoting Don’t Worry Darling on social media like the rest of her co-stars, causing fans to further speculate that she had fallen out with director Olivia.
Page Six also recently reported that the actress was allegedly unhappy about Olivia’s real life romance with Harry Styles – who plays Florence’s husband in the movie.
Additionally, Showbiz Galore reported that the former One Direction star was paid nearly three times as much as Florence was for the film.
But in an interview with Variety, Olivia shut down rumours of a feud with Florence, and slammed claims Harry was paid more than her.
She told the outlet: “I had been blown the f**k away by [Florence]. I loved the film [Midsommar], but I loved her. I was just like, ‘Well, she’s extraordinary. She’s clearly the most exciting young actress working today.’”
The 38-year-old added: “There has been a lot out there that I largely don’t pay attention to. But the absurdity of invented clickbait and subsequent reaction regarding a nonexistent pay disparity between our lead and supporting actors really upset me.”
“I’m a woman who has been in this business for over 20 years, and it’s something that I have fought for myself and others, especially being a director. There is absolutely no validity to those claims.”
Praising Harry and Florence, Olivia said: “We were all brought so close by the bubble of the production. She was really a great supporter of his as someone who was newer to a film set. And he was such a great supporter of hers, as someone who understood it was her film.”
Earlier this month, Olivia attended the press conference for the film at the Venice Film Festival alongside co-stars Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine; however, Florence did not appear on the panel.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Olivia: “Can you just clear the air and address whether there has been a falling out there and if so why, because it’s something that people are discussing?”
The 38-year-old responded: “Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune. 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 Denis Villeneuve for helping us – we’re really thrilled we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight.”
“I can’t say enough how honoured 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.”
Florence, who is currently filming for Dune 2 in Budapest, later travelled to Venice to attend the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling.
Florence Pugh knowing she’s the IT girl, Chris Pine being her personal photographer, the crowd going wild…that’s amore pic.twitter.com/VQ20ZQy3bC
— Liv Marks (@OliviaLilyMarks) September 5, 2022
The actress made quite the entrance as she arrived later than the rest of her co-stars.
The 26-year-old was quick to greet Gemma, Chris, Nick Kroll and Sydney Chandler, but shunned Olivia and Harry.
Olivia, Harry and Florence all stayed away from each other on the red carpet and throughout the premiere of the film, using their co-stars as buffers between them.
