Olivia Wilde Opens Up About the Chaos Surrounding Don't Worry Darling

Olivia Wilde has reflected on the tumultuous period surrounding the promotion of Don't Worry Darling, opening up about the relentless public attention during an appearance on Call Her Daddy.

The director faced considerable speculation during the film's press tour, with persistent questions about her relationship with Harry Styles, her split from Jason Sudeikis, and various tensions connected to the production. She was also at the center of rumors involving the film's cast members.

Wilde explained that she felt compelled to retreat from the public sphere in recent years. "I felt like I needed to get quiet. I needed to hear myself again, there was so much noise," she said. "It was a very unfamiliar thing to me to be thrust into such chaos. It was not my vibe."

She described the experience as being caught in a storm that required her to step away and process what had happened. "I did a sh-t ton of therapy," she shared. "I took it as an opportunity to rebuild myself at this point in my life."

When host Alex Cooper noted that coverage had focused on Wilde's relationships, parenting, appearance, and character, the director responded candidly about the nature of tabloid reporting. "F-king bananas. It was so strange," she said. "I've never felt more disconnected from the person that people were talking about."

Wilde highlighted the gap between fiction and fact in media coverage. She noted that once a narrative takes hold, outlets continue to perpetuate it regardless of evidence to the contrary. "It was really funny. I had an assistant at the time who was one of my dear friends, and she was like, 'Working for you really ruins the tabloids for me now I know it's fake,'" Wilde recalled.

The director explained that she faced a difficult choice during the promotional period. While she wanted to defend herself against false claims, she felt obligated to prioritize the film and the hundreds of crew members who had worked to create it during the pandemic. "I was responsible for promoting a movie. I was like, it's not about me. It's about this movie that everyone works so hard to make," she said.

Reflecting on the disproportionate criticism she received, Wilde expressed understanding for why people gravitated toward tabloid narratives. "The escapism of the tabloids is something that is in a way very soothing for people. It's understandable," she noted.

Wilde also discussed how media narratives can become self-reinforcing. Once the press had cast her in a particular role, she felt that any action she took was interpreted through that lens. "If they've decided that you're the villain, that's been determined. So anything you do, it'll reinforce that same thing," she explained.

Looking back, Wilde acknowledged that her approach to handling the situation may have backfired. She believed that projecting strength and composure came across as inauthentic to observers who sensed she was concealing pain. "I think there's value in being vulnerable and just being like, oh, ouch. This hurts," she reflected. "My own attempt to be strong and to kind of rise above it in a way came off as inauthentic."

The director emphasized that her private life during this period stood in stark contrast to the public turmoil. "There was all this public madness, but my private life was very far from it and very actually kind of like wholesome and sweet. I had a lot of like real joy and love and happiness during that time," she said.

Wilde concluded by noting her personal growth since that period. "I'm a very different person than I was three years ago. I think a much better version of myself because I have just taken the time to process it."

The Don't Worry Darling press tour was marked by various controversies, including questions about Wilde's relationship with Styles and disputes regarding cast changes. Shia LaBeouf, who was originally attached to the project, ultimately departed, with conflicting accounts about whether he was fired or quit. A leaked video purportedly showed Wilde attempting to persuade LaBeouf to remain involved. Additionally, rumors of tension between Wilde and lead actress Florence Pugh generated significant media attention around the film's release.