Industry sources have added a new side to the Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh 'feud' allegations.

If you thought the Don’t Worry Darling drama was over, think again. 

Things definitely reached a crescendo earlier this week at Venice Film Festival, and we still have a couple of weeks to go before the film hits cinemas. Up until then, the promotion, speculation, and gossip are likely to continue.

You can catch up on all the Don't Worry Darling news here.

Today, Vanity Fair has released a cover story with the film's director Olivia Wilde, with journalist Julie Miller having interviewed the actress-turned-director over a number of months in the lead-up to the film's calamitous debut at Venice.

There was a lot of ground to cover, and while rumours surrounding the film have been shrouded in mystery, with stars avoiding speaking out directly, Wilde seemed to do her best to clear the air around some of the bolder claims made about her film. 

Here’s everything we learned from Olivia Wilde's Vanity Fair cover story.

She maintains that Shia LaBeouf was fired from the film during production

Miller notes in the piece that Wilde’s dedication to a ‘safe set’ was challenged before filming began when Shia LaBeouf was still cast in the lead role of Jack.

Recently, drama exploded between the pair when Wilde claimed to have fired LaBeouf from the role, and he responded publicly, asking her to correct the record and admit he had left of his own volition - even leaking a video message Wilde sent him in the process.

A source with knowledge of the situation told Vanity Fair that the truth about the situation is "a couple shades of gray".  The actor was indeed unhappy with the limited amount of rehearsal time that Pugh had available, and Pugh, in turn, was uncomfortable with his intensity.

The source explained that LaBeouf gave Wilde an ultimatum, to choose him or Pugh. Any confusion surrounding the events is said to be from Wilde’s attempts to spare his ego, allowing him to think he quit the project, rather than that he was being fired.

“My responsibility was towards her,” Wilde said of Pugh in the profile.

“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,” she said of her decision.

Catch up on the drama with The Spill, Mamamia's daily entertainment podcast.

She trashes the rumours that Florence Pugh helped direct the film.

One of the rumours surrounding the film was that while Wilde was distracted by her new relationship with lead actor Harry Styles, Pugh had to take over some of the directing responsibilities.

“The idea that I had five seconds in the day to be distracted by anything is laughable,” Wilde told the magazine.

“It is ironic that now, with my second film—which is again about the incredible power of women, what we’re capable of when we unite, and how easy it is to strip a woman of power by using other women to judge and shame them—we’re talking about this,” she added when discussing rumours from the set.

… and that Florence’s lack of social media presence is pointed

Wilde also quashed another rumour about Pugh: that her perceived issues with the film are obvious given she hasn’t posted much about Don’t Worry Darling on her social media.

“Florence is one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe. She’s on set on Dune. I gather that some people expect for her to be engaging more on social media,” Olivia said.

“I didn’t hire her to post. I hired her to act. She fulfilled every single expectation I had of her. That’s all that matters to me.”

Wilde on the Venice red carpet. Image: Getty. 

 

She did not leave Jason Sudeikis for Harry Styles

Even before the drama surrounding the film began, Wilde was dogged by rumours that she had left her fiancé, Jason Sudeikis, to begin a relationship with Harry Styles.

“The complete horseshit idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate,” she told Miller.

She shared that they ‘dissolved’ their relationship at the beginning of the pandemic, but co-parented their two children throughout lockdown.

“Our relationship was over long before I met Harry. Like any relationship that ends, it doesn’t end overnight,” she also said.

She was upset by the happenings at the Venice Film Festival

Another anonymous source told Vanity Fair that the happenings at Venice Film Festival, which spawned an array of internet memes, trolling, and gossip, was ‘crushing’ for Olivia. And while early reviews of the film haven’t really praised her directorial prowess, the praise for Florence Pugh seems to reflect well on Olivia, who was dedicated to getting the best performance out of Pugh. 

The cast of Don't Worry Darling. Image: Getty. 

She’s unlikely to act again anytime soon.

Wilde shared with Miller how exhausting it was to produce, direct, and act in Don’t Worry Darling, finding herself constantly switching between the set and the monitors, and answering questions about Covid, costumes, and production design on the walk from one spot to another. 

“I spoke to a lot of actor-directors about it, and they were encouraging… But I realised later I had asked only men,” she said.

She reflects on gender in Hollywood at the end of the article as well, as she divulges that she’s unlikely to act for a while.

“As an actress, the older you get, the less opportunities you have. With directing, the more experience you have, the more valuable you are. You want to be Agnès Varda. You want people to think, ‘Oh, by the time you’re 80, you’ll be so good.’”

Feature Image: Getty/Mamamia.

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