It’s been a while since a film has caused as much of a media frenzy as Don’t Worry Darling has before its release.
This is Olivia Wilde’s sophomore film as a director, and the psychological thriller aims to go inside the mind of a woman named Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) who begins to discover secrets about her seemingly perfect husband and life. Although critics are praising Pugh for her performance, it’s the behind-the-scenes controversies, which entail everything from rumored feuds, on-set romances, potential spitting between co-stars, and casting issues, that have gotten ahold of people’s attention.
Wilde found herself in an awkward situation when she claimed in an interview with Variety to have fired Shia LaBeouf, whom she cast as the lead actor in the film before hiring Harry Styles. LaBeouf refuted her statement, saying he left the film on his own accord and provided a long list of receipts to back his story—and the issues surrounding the film haven’t slowed down since.
But let’s be honest. Even having a pop phenomenon as the lead and Wilde’s extensive promotional tour, the film would not be getting this much attention if it weren’t for all this drama. Like any good publicist knows, any press is good press when promoting a project. And it’s working. People have been talking, tweeting, making TikToks, and writing about it nonstop since the LaBeouf drama, and it all just might inspire more people than expected to turn up at the theaters when the film debuts on Friday, Sept. 23. (Complex attended a Don’t Worry Darling press screening earlier this week and it was packed, which usually only happens for Marvel or franchise films.) There is also some irony in the director catching so much flack over the film when the story centers around a woman standing up against an oppressive system.
Below, we’ve done our best to unpack all that has transpired since production began for Don’t Worry Darling in late 2020 and all the drama that has surfaced since.
It’s been a while since a film has caused as much of a media frenzy as Don’t Worry Darling has before its release.
This is Olivia Wilde’s sophomore film as a director, and the psychological thriller aims to go inside the mind of a woman named Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) who begins to discover secrets about her seemingly perfect husband and life. Although critics are praising Pugh for her performance, it’s the behind-the-scenes controversies, which entail everything from rumored feuds, on-set romances, potential spitting between co-stars, and casting issues, that have gotten ahold of people’s attention.
Wilde found herself in an awkward situation when she claimed in an interview with Variety to have fired Shia LaBeouf, whom she cast as the lead actor in the film before hiring Harry Styles. LaBeouf refuted her statement, saying he left the film on his own accord and provided a long list of receipts to back his story—and the issues surrounding the film haven’t slowed down since.
But let’s be honest. Even having a pop phenomenon as the lead and Wilde’s extensive promotional tour, the film would not be getting this much attention if it weren’t for all this drama. Like any good publicist knows, any press is good press when promoting a project. And it’s working. People have been talking, tweeting, making TikToks, and writing about it nonstop since the LaBeouf drama, and it all just might inspire more people than expected to turn up at the theaters when the film debuts on Friday, Sept. 23. (Complex attended a Don’t Worry Darling press screening earlier this week and it was packed, which usually only happens for Marvel or franchise films.) There is also some irony in the director catching so much flack over the film when the story centers around a woman standing up against an oppressive system.
Below, we’ve done our best to unpack all that has transpired since production began for Don’t Worry Darling in late 2020 and all the drama that has surfaced since.
Harry Styles was allegedly Olivia’s first choice for the part of Jack
Date: 2020
In Don’t Worry Darling, Harry Styles—who made his post-One Direction film acting debut in the 2017 Christopher Nolan hit Dunkirk—plays Jack Chambers, husband to Florence Pugh’s character Alice.
And while much has been said in the lead-up to DWD’s release about who may or may not have been initially in line for the part, Wilde herself said amid a frenzy of promo commitments that it was Styles all along.
Per Wilde, as told to Variety’s Elizabeth Wagmeister, she had already enlisted the proven power of Pugh when she began looking for the film’s Jack. Dunkirk had been on Wilde’s radar at the time, as had some praise from those who worked with Styles on the film, but he was not initially able to sign on due to his touring schedule. Thus, Wilde and company sought out the services of Shia LaBeouf.
Shia LaBeouf joins the cast, later exits
Date: September 2020
In early 2020, multiple outlets reported that Shia LaBeouf—then fresh off the critical success of his semi-autobiographical Honey Boy—had signed on to join Pugh and Chris Pine in Wilde’s film. Mere months later, however, LaBeouf was revealed to no longer be a part of the production.
A Deadline report breaking the news in September 2020 said LaBeouf had exited the film “due to a scheduling conflict.” But in the two years since, the story of LaBeouf’s brief involvement with DWD has only grown more complicated (more on that in a minute).
In December of that year, LaBeouf was sued by former partner (and Honey Boy actress) FKA twigs, who accused him of abuse. As of this summer, the case was set to go to trial next April.
Harry joins the cast after tour is called off due to pandemic
Date: September 2020
When Styles became formally attached to DWD in September 2020, attention on the film—already widely reported to be considered a high-priority release for the studio—was bumped up to an even more astronomical level. At the time, the Warner Bros. powers that be were said to have been actively looking for another project to best utilize Styles, who had earned good will with his aforementioned Dunkirk appearance.
Adding to the stars-aligning quality of Styles’ casting was that his tour schedule, previously speculated to have been a reason why he couldn’t initially commit to the film, had at this point been reshuffled with postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis split up
Date: November 2020
Not long after the final DWD cast took shape, the world was met with word that Olivia and Jason were calling it quits, thus ending their engagement.
In November 2020, a source alleged to have been “close to the couple,” whose engagement lasted about seven years, timed the split itself as having actually occurred toward the start of the year.
“It’s been amicable and they’ve transitioned into a great co-parenting routine,” the source added, per a then-exclusive People scoop. Ensuing alleged details about the nature of the split painted a slightly different picture, however, at least in the eyes of the general public.
In a GQ profile the following year, for example, Sudeikis spoke candidly about the relationship’s demise, saying he would “have a better standing of why” it ended a year from then. And a year from that point, he continued, he would have an even better understanding, and so on.
Wilde has also spoken out about the relationship’s ending, including in a Vanity Fair cover feature published the same month as DWD’s release in which the director and actress refuted “false narratives and drama” she said had become unfairly attached to the story.
Olivia and Harry become an item
Date: January 2021
At the top of 2021, as anyone with even a merely cursory knowledge of the social media landscape already knows, photos of Olivia and Harry holding hands at a wedding practically lit the planet ablaze.
The wedding in question, per a pics-filled rundown at the time from the reliably sleuth-minded folks over at Page Six, was that of Harry’s agent, and took place at the San Ysidro Ranch.
While the photos did the bulk of the talking on their own, a source quoted in an Entertainment Tonight piece at the time alleged that the Twitter-shattering partnering had come about in a “very organic” fashion stemming from the two's time together on the DWD set.
Custody docs served at CinemaCon
Date: April 2022
A briefly maintained mystery was launched earlier this year when Olivia was presented with an envelope during a DWD presentation at CinemaCon.
Speculation was quick, with some wondering if someone had presented her with an unsolicited script or perhaps some sort of legal document. The latter option turned out to be the case, with Deadline later reporting that the envelope (which had been labeled as “personal and confidential”) did indeed contain custody docs from Sudeikis in connection with their two children.
A THR insider, meanwhile, later claimed that Sudeikis was not aware of when or where the documents would be served, adding that he “would never condone” this particular method. Wilde later called the serving a “vicious” act and questioned how the server was able to get into the event at all, notably highlighting the fact that this would have been handled much differently if it were a more traditional workplace environment.
As for the larger custody issue itself, Page Six reported in August that a petition on the matter against Wilde had been dismissed.
Rumors of feud between Olivia and Florence start brewing
Date: April 2022
A fairly more recent development in the sustained hoopla surrounding DWD is the assumption by some that Olivia and Florence are not only at odds, but have been for some time now.
A key element in this part of the discourse has been the social media activity of each. Some had pointed to the manner in which Pugh had promoted the film on her Instagram, including the brevity with which she shared a DWD clip to the main timeline in August of this year, and lack of promotion when the trailer debuted in April.
An earlier post commemorating production wrap on the film saw Pugh giving the crew a moment to shine, without a mention of Wilde. Pugh also appeared to not acknowledge a July 2022 post from Wilde praising her performance.
Basing such speculation entirely on IG activity is arguably ludicrous, although additional elements of speculation were later brought into the fold. As for such talk in connection with Pugh not attending a Venice Film Festival press conference, Variety reported that her limited time at the event was due to shooting commitments for other projects, a Dune sequel among them. As well as the LaBeouf drama. More on that ahead.
Olivia says she fired Shia due to his acting "process"
Date: August 2022
The drama surrounding DWD further escalated when Wilde appeared on the cover of Variety in late August to talk about the film and explained her decision to not have LaBeouf as a part of the cast. She went on to say that she fired LaBeouf from the production because “his process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions,” which went against the initial reports that he left the film due to a scheduling conflict.
“He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances,” she added in the profile. “I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job.”
Shia denies Olivia's statements, and provides proof
Date: August 2022
Soon after the cover story was published, LaBeouf, who had until then declined to speak to Variety, reached out to the publication to deny that he was fired from Don’t Worry Darling and said that he chose to exit. LaBeouf refuted Wilde’s claims in an email saying that he “quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time.” The actor also shared an email with Variety addressed to the director, which said: “You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse.”
“What inspired this email today is your latest Variety story,” LaBeouf wrote. “I am greatly honored by your words on my work; thank you, that felt good to read. I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired, however. You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn’t find time to rehearse. I have included as a reminder the screenshots of our text exchange on that day, and my text to Tobey.”
The publication also obtained the text messages LaBeouf mentioned in the email, which included a video Wilde sent the actor days after he left the film in August 2020. “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,” Wilde says in the clip, which then made the rounds on social media. “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?”
The video and texts contradicted Wilde’s earlier comments about trying to keep her cast and team safe, and some fans took offense to her referring to the clash as a “wake-up call to Miss Flo,” furthering their theories that there was tension brewing between the two actresses.
The actor had also been busy promoting his upcoming film Padre Pio, which is his comeback after dealing with his own personal issues after FKA Twigs filed the lawsuit against him in 2020.
Alleged text messages between Shia and Florence leak online
Date: Sept. 3
Leaked texts that were allegedly exchanged between Pugh and LaBeouf early on in the film's preproduction process made the rounds on social media. Fans believe that the texts, which were leaked through a Tumblr account, show that the communication between the actors was amicable and there were no signs of the tension between them that Wilde had previously talked about. The texts showed them not being able to agree on a time to rehearse, and in one conversation Pugh allegedly asks him, “Where did you get me being scared of you from?”
Olivia and Florence both speak out about the film’s sex scenes
Date: September 2022
Judging by how people have discussed the sexual content of DWD ahead of its release, one could potentially be under the impression that the film includes a contextually large amount of sex scenes. While this isn’t the case, the topic itself has been a major player in the film’s promo.
In a Harper’s Bazaar cover story, Pugh argued that when zeroing in on excerpted bits from a larger work of art, one is actually diminishing the art by not allowing it to be viewed as intended, i.e. in totality.
“When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it,” she told Andrea Cuttler at the time. The film, Florence added, is “bigger and better” than such talk, much of which was spurred after the wide release of a DWD trailer.
Olivia has taken a different angle when discussing the scenes, including in the aforementioned Variety profile. From her perspective, DWD offered an opportunity to depict “female pleasure” in a way that is almost always lost in depictions of hetero intimacy.
“The impractical nature of [the two main characters’] sex speaks to their ferocious desire for one another. I think it’s integral to the story itself and how the audience is meant to connect to them,” she told the outlet.
Fans speculate about tension at the film's Venice Film Festival premiere
Date: Sept. 5
All eyes were on the Don’t Worry Darling cast when they hit the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5 for their film’s world premiere. Fans and critics alike discussed whether Pugh and Wilde interacted with each other, where Styles and Pugh stood on the red carpet for photos, and whether or not Styles and the film’s director made eye contact. Pine has also become a meme after he seemingly looked spaced out and uninterested during the film’s press conference.
Pugh attended the premiere but skipped out on the press conference. While Wilde steered away from speaking about her rumored feud with Pugh as well as the LaBeouf controversy. “We’re thrilled we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight,” Wilde said regarding her alleged falling out with Pugh. “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. It’s sufficiently well nourished.”
Fans debate if Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine during the premiere
Date: Sept. 5
That was only made worse by a viral video that surfaced online from inside the premiere that showed Styles taking his seat next to his co-star Chris Pine. Some believed that Styles spit on Pine’s lap as he sat down, which made Pine look down at his chair and then smile, and a debate about whether the singer had spit on Pine’s lap or not began. Styles’ fans quickly came to his defense, with some people providing slowed-down versions of the clip to gain some clarity. The moment set Twitter on fire, and it became the main point of discussion even for people who weren’t familiar with the film and the ongoing drama.
Pine’s rep denied that Styles spat on the actor, telling People: “This is a ridiculous story—a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation.” Adding: “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pines. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
The singer jokingly addressed the situation during a concert in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 7. “This is our 10th show at Madison Square Garden, it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back here. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine,” Styles says while smiling in a video fans shared online. “But fret not, we’re back!”
Olivia tells 'Vanity Fair' Shia made Florence 'uncomfortable'
Date: Sept. 8, 2022
In a profile published by Vanity Fair in September tied to the film’s release, Wilde doubled down and said she personally called and fired Shia after Pugh told her that she felt “uncomfortable with LaBeouf’s behavior” during preproduction. “My responsibility was towards her. I’m like a mother wolf. Making the call was tricky, but in a way he understood. I don’t think it would’ve been a process he enjoyed. He comes at his work with an intensity that can be combative. It wasn’t the ethos that I demand in my productions,” she said. “I want him to get well and to evolve because I think it’s a great loss to the film industry when someone that talented is unable to work.”
She was also asked about the women who came forward about abuse at the hands of LaBeouf and she said, “It’s easy to fire someone compared to coming out and talking about abuse. That’s difficult. That takes courage.”
Vanity Fair also asked the director about the alleged texts between Pugh and LaBeouf, and Wilde said: “This issue is so much more nuanced than can be explained in private texts released out of context. All I’ll say is he was replaced, and there was no going forward with him. I wish him the best in his recovery.”
When asked about the VF interview, LaBeouf told The Hollywood Reporter: “It is what it is — every blessing to her and her film.”
Olivia and Jason's former nanny goes to the tabloids
Date: October 2022
Surrounding the VOD release of Don’t Worry Darling in October was a flurry of tabloid-generated headlines from a former nanny of Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis. Among the allegations spread across a multi-part Daily Mail interview were that Harry Styles and Florence Pugh had (allegedly) been involved prior to the Harry’s House singer having started a relationship with Olivia.
“Olivia told Jason a couple of weeks after Harry started [on set] that Flo was fucking Harry and she had a boyfriend but was fucking Harry,” this alleged former nanny told the tabloid publication.
This same individual is also the source of related Daily Mail-sourced allegations, including a much-discussed claim regarding Harry’s enjoyment of a special salad dressing and an (alleged) incident involving a car.
Both Wilde and Sudeikis responded to some of the nanny’s claims, calling any such talk “false” and slamming it as part of what they say is an ongoing harassment campaign from their ex-employee.
“Her now 18 month long campaign of harassing us, as well as loved ones, close friends and colleagues, has reached its unfortunate apex,” the two said in a joint statement to Page Six and other outlets at the time. “We will continue to focus on raising and protecting our children with the sincere hope that she will now choose to leave our family alone.”
Olivia calls out ‘burning hellfire’ of misogyny
Date: October 2022
During a widely excerpted speech given at Elle’s Women in Hollywood event, Olivia Wilde spoke on her journey from casting assistant to proven multi-hyphenate while noting the more difficult aspects of the journey, including the power of social media. In fact, the actor/writer/director said at the time, she might have taken a different path if she had known in advance that Twitter would become such a major part of the industry.
“I was an actress who started producing and then finally got the courage to start directing, and I wouldn’t have started any of it at all if I knew Twitter would be invented. But here I am,” Wilde, an honoree at the ceremony, said. “It’s a real thrill to have what is undeniably the greatest job on the planet.”
Elsewhere, Wilde seemingly referenced the more gossip-focused side of Don’t Worry Darling coverage and the resulting discourse. She also highlighted the importance of not giving up, even in the face of the “burning hellfire” of misogyny.
“Because, let’s face it, it’s not always easy to keep going,” Wilde said. “In fact, sometimes it’s tempting to excuse ourselves from the burning hellfire of the misogyny that defines this business and say, ‘Good night, good luck, I’d rather eat glass for a living.’ But we won’t let each other give up.”