At this point, even people who have no interest in Harry Styles, celebrity scandals, or movies in general are aware of the ongoing drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling. What was first pure speculation on the most fun corners of the internet has turned into a seemingly never-ending feed of source quotes, gossip, rumors, interviews, and reports of tension between director Olivia Wilde and lead actor Florence Pugh. And if you find yourself somewhat confused, suffering celebrity drama FOMO in the group chat, and wondering what the actual f*ck is going on, it’s time to gather all the receipts in one place. But first:
Some Quick Background on Don’t Worry Darling
The psychological thriller is directed by Olivia Wilde and stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles (as well as Olivia herself in a supporting role). Shia LaBeouf was originally cast in the role Harry Styles ended up taking, which is important for drama-related reasons, so stay tuned. Filming for the movie began in October 2020 and lasted until February 2021.
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December 9, 2021: Olivia Talks Sex Scenes With Vogue
Olivia gives an interview to Vogue and talks about how she wants to make a movie about good sex, explaining, “I kept saying, ‘Why isn’t there any good sex in film anymore?’” She also says she wants the audience to “realize how rarely they see female hunger, and specifically this type of female pleasure.”
This is important because Florence’s take on the movie’s sex scenes is…different (but more on that in a moment).
July 21, 2022: The Internet Spirals Over Florence’s Lack of Don’t Worry Darling Promotion
Fans notice that Florence posts about her upcoming movie Oppenheimer on the same day Olivia goes heavy with Don’t Worry Darling promotion—leading to speculation that there’s drama.
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July 30, 2022: Sources Allege On-Set Drama
A source tells Page Six that Florence was unhappy with Harry and Olivia’s relationship (which began during Don’t Worry Darling filming), claiming, “I can tell you for a fact that Flo seeing Olivia and Harry all over each other on set did not go down well as Olivia was still with Jason [Sudeikis] when she first hooked up with Harry.”
The source adds, “Jason and the kids visited Olivia on set at the beginning a few times, so I think this all made people feel a little uncomfortable.”
FYI: This account is heavily disputed, with multiple *other* sources (including insiders at Entertainment Tonight) saying Olivia and Jason were broken up well before Don’t Worry Darling filming began: “It’s not like she’s rushing into something,” ET‘s source said. “Olivia and Jason talk all the time and are still close because of the kids. It’s highly unlikely he was blind-sided by this news.”
August 16, 2022: Florence Talks Sex Scenes With Harper’s Bazaar
Kay, back to the sex scenes. Florence gives an interview to Harper’s Bazaar, indicating that she isn’t happy with the movie being “reduced” to its intimate moments.
“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. It’s not why I’m in this industry. Obviously, the nature of hiring the most famous pop star in the world, you’re going to have conversations like that. That’s just not what I’m going to be discussing because [this movie is] bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that.”
There’s some inevitable reading into this, since Olivia made a point to talk about the sex scenes in her interview.
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August 24, 2022: Olivia Claims She Fired Shia
Olivia opens up about Shia leaving the production in an interview with Variety, saying, “As someone who is such an admirer of his work, (LaBeouf’s) process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. 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. 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.”
Meanwhile, she also chats about sex scenes in the movie, prompting some backlash:
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On top of all that, fans notice that Florence “declined to be interviewed for this story.”
August 26, 2022: Shia Accuses Olivia of Lying and Provides Emails
After Olivia’s interview, Shia sends messages to Variety detailing his correspondence with Olivia around the time of his departure from Don’t Worry Darling. He also sends a copy of the email he wrote her after the Variety interview, saying in part, “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.”
Shia claims he quit Don’t Worry Darling on August 17, 2020 and sent a video to Variety (which has since been leaked and was allegedly filmed on August 19, 2020) where Olivia tells him, “I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I, too, am heartbroken and I want to figure this outYou 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?”
August 26, 2022: Florence Limits DWD Press
The Wrap reports that Florence will “limit” her Don’t Worry Darling press to just one appearance at the 2022 Venice Film Festival premiere. “She’ll be doing greetings for us from the set of Dune because she’s not doing press,” a studio executive told the outlet.
This brings us up to date, but stay tuned for the vibes at the Venice Film Festival. 👀