Olivia Wilde addressed the rumored scandals with “Don’t Worry Darling” actress Florence Pugh — and dodged a question about Shia LaBeouf — at the Venice Film Festival.
The director attended a press panel on Monday alongside the film’s stars, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine.
A journalist asked Wilde to “clear the air” about a “falling out” with Pugh, who was absent — as previously expected — from the press event but would attend the movie’s premiere on Monday.
“Florence is a force, and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on ‘Dune,’ ” Wilde said.
“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 honored I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing in the film,” Wilde went on.
“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,” Wilde said.
In July, an insider told Page Six that Styles and Wilde’s on-set romance “did not go down well” with the “Black Widow” star as Wilde was allegedly still with her ex-partner Jason Sudeikis.
Styles and Wilde — who have been dating for nearly two years — were noticeably spread out between Chan and Pine during the panel and photo call.
Rumors also swirled that Pugh was paid less than Styles, according to the Hollywood Reporter, making $700,000 compared to Styles’ $2.5 million — which Wilde denied, saying there was “no validity.”
As for the drama surrounding Shia LaBeouf: He was originally cast in Styles’ role but left the film in the fall of 2020. Wilde told Variety that LaBeouf was fired from the project, stating his acting process “was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions,” and his departure meant keeping Pugh “safe” on set.
On Monday, the panel moderator shut down a journalist’s question about the actor, stating that it had already been answered because “it’s on the internet,” Variety reported.
However, the “Honey Boy” actor came back with receipts, including emails where he allegedly explained that he left the film because of a lack of rehearsal time and released a video of Wilde apparently pleading for him not to walk away.
“Don’t Worry Darling” premieres Monday at the Venice Film Festival and hits theaters Sept. 23.
