The crew of Don't Worry Darling respond to the reports of Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh's behind-the-scenes feud. Don't Worry Darling is a psychological thriller directed by Wilde, starring Pugh alongside Harry Styles. The film is Wilde's second after her acclaimed debut Booksmart in 2019 and premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, before it was released in theaters on September 23, ultimately to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics.
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Since the beginning of Don't Worry Darling's development, gossip swirled around the film's reportedly troubled production, which began when Shia LaBeouf was allegedly fired from the film. Wilde began a relationship with Harry Styles, LaBeouf's replacement, during filming, which rumors suggested was a source of on-set tension for cast and crew. It was recently reported that Pugh and Wilde got into a "screaming match" during filming in January 2021, with Pugh expressing her frustration over Wilde constantly disappearing on-set. Toby Emmerich, a Warner Bros. executive at the time, stepped in to help mediate the feud, which resulted in Pugh doing very little press for Don't Worry Darling. All of this created a high-tension scene at the Venice Film Festival, where Pugh appeared on the red carpet alongside her Don't Worry Darling castmates but chose to skip the press conference.
Now, 40 members of the Don't Worry Darling crew respond to the report of Wilde and Pugh's blowout argument, calling it "absurd gossip." The statement issued by the crew (via TheWrap) calls the reported on-set behavior "completely false," saying that Wilde ran the set with respect. The full list of crew who signed the statement includes some of Don't Worry Darling's production assistants, department heads, and producers. Read the crew's statement below:
As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article. There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our cast. We are happy to put our names on this, as real people who worked on the film, and who have witnessed and benefitted from the collaborative and safe space Olivia creates as a director and leader. We’re also thrilled that the movie is in theaters this weekend. We can’t wait for you to see it on the big screen.
Controversy Hasn't Hurt Don't Worry Darling's Box Office
While Don't Worry Darling didn't score especially high with critics, many of them agree that one of the film's major redeeming qualities is Pugh's acting – a sentiment with Wilde echoed in a recent interview. Though Wilde didn't confirm or deny the feud itself, she commended Pugh's acting in the film, and said that it was "baffling" that media outlets preferred to focus on "baseless rumors and gossip" rather than her star's talent. Similarly, Pugh shared a heartfelt Instagram post thanking the cast and crew of Don't Worry Darling for all of their hard work, choosing to focus on the film rather than the drama surrounding it.
Despite all the film's controversy, Don't Worry Darling topped its opening weekend's box office domestically while garnering over $30 million internationally. Though critics gave the film less-than-favorable reviews, audiences are turning out in droves to see Don't Worry Darling, perhaps in part because of all the press that Wilde and Pugh's alleged feud provided the film. Though rumors continue to circulate around the film, as far as the crew of Don't Worry Darling are concerned, Wilde and Pugh's major on-set argument never happened.