Years after the Don’t Worry Darling controversy, Olivia Wilde says she endured a torrent of disproportionate hate.
Forgot Don’t Worry Darling? We haven’t, because unlike many, we never hated Olivia Wilde’s psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. Unfortunately, the film found itself at the center of several controversies: Shia LaBeouf’s exit, feuds between the director and her lead actress, Wilde’s romantic involvement with Harry Styles… In short, everything and the kitchen sink was said. Florence Pugh declined to promote the film upon its release, aside from a brief appearance on the Venice Film Festival red carpet.
Worldwide, Don’t Worry Darling grossed just $87 million. For a film with that lineup, one might call it a flop… but it was actually produced on a modest $35 million budget. Moreover, it was shot and put together during the height of the Covid era, which invites perspective on the release context. Recently, Wilde has revisited that difficult period and the torrent of hate she faced at the time of release.
Young, Wilde and (not really) free
During her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Olivia Wilde revisited the Don’t Worry Darling controversy. She explained that it’s incredibly hard to respond to this kind of thing when you’re so publicly exposed, and that several people advised her to stay silent:
“It was very difficult, because I wanted to talk to people. I wanted to tell them, ‘This is not true! This is not true!’ But I was told, ‘Don’t do that, it won’t help.’ And that was really hard. It wasn’t just about me. It was about a film as a whole, on which a lot of people had worked hard.
I felt like I carried the responsibility for hundreds of people who kept working through Covid to bring something incredibly challenging to life. It was frustrating not being able to defend myself. I absorbed blows that were completely disproportionate, it was mind-boggling.”
During that particularly dark period, Olivia Wilde found comfort in Pamela Anderson, who isn’t unfamiliar with controversies born of overexposure. The director recounted that experience and how the star of There’s a Cop to Save the World? lent a hand:
“It might sound completely crazy. After watching Pamela, a Love Story, I reached out and told her: ‘Respect. I just wanted to say I’m a big admirer.’
She was aware of some of the trials I was going through [and offered advice]: ‘The most rebellious thing you can do is stay tender. Don’t let all of this harden you.’”
Wilde also spoke about Don’t Worry Darling during an interview with The Cut, a sign that she decided it was time to speak after a long period of silence:
“I’ve never had a heated blow-up on my set. I’ve always shown up on set. I wanted to say, ‘None of this is true.’ (…)
People told me, ‘Don’t say anything. Just go out and smile.’ I didn’t like that, but it taught me that this isn’t how I want to handle things.”
The time has come for Wilde to rebound: later this year, she’ll release the dark comedy The Invite. The new film centers on a dinner party and two couples teetering on the edge of collapse. On the cast front, the lineup shines again: Wilde will star alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. In the United States, it opens in theaters on September 13.
