If you've been keeping up with the Don't Worry Darling rollout, there's a chance that you've come across a rumored feud between director Olivia Wilde and star Florence Pugh.
There are a couple of theories behind the alleged drama, but one stems from a report earlier this month from Showbiz Galore that stated that Florence was paid $700,000 — while Harry Styles, who is also Olivia's boyfriend, was paid $3 million for his supporting role.
In a new interview with Variety, Olivia denied any claims of a pay disparity between Florence and Harry. “There has been a lot out there that I largely don’t pay attention to," she began.
"But the absurdity of invented clickbait and subsequent reaction regarding a nonexistent pay disparity between our lead and supporting actors really upset me."
"I’m a woman who has been in this business for over 20 years, and it’s something that I have fought for myself and others, especially being a director. There is absolutely no validity to those claims," she said.
Neither Olivia nor Florence commented directly on the feud allegations, but Olivia did say of working with the actors, "We were all brought so close by the bubble of the production. She was really a great supporter of his as someone who was newer to a film set. And he was such a great supporter of hers, as someone who understood it was her film.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Olivia spoke at length about wider tabloid celebrity culture, saying, "I don’t blame people for seeking escapism [through celebrity gossip], but I think the tabloid media is a tool to pit women against one another and to shame them.”
"Listen, I’m not asking for any sort of pity. My life is extraordinary. I’m thrilled with my life,” she said. “But I do wish, for the betterment of society in general, that we would all disengage from a cycle of bullying and hatred. We’ve just lost empathy, and we just don’t give people the benefit of the doubt — specifically women. We just assume the worst from women, and I don’t know why.”
