Olivia Wilde Shuts Down Florence Pugh Feud Rumors & Hits Back At Gossip Overshadowing Her ‘Talent’

“Florence [Pugh]  did the job I hired her to do, and she did it exquisitely,” Olivia Wilde told Vanity Fair when discussing her alleged feud with the Don’t Worry Darling costar. Olivia, 38, and Florence, 26, have been embroiled in rumors over a falling out. However, when speaking to VF’s Julie Miller, the Darling director shut down any idea of a tiff. She blew me away. Every day I was in awe of her, and we worked very well together,” she said.

“It is ironic that now, with my second film—which is again about the incredible power of women, what we’re capable of when we unite, and how easy it is to strip a woman of power by using other women to judge and shame them—we’re talking about this,” continued Olivia. “Florence’s performance in this film is astounding… It’s just baffling to me that the media would rather focus on baseless rumors and gossip, thereby overshadowing her profound talent. She deserves more than that. As does the movie, and everyone who worked so hard on it.”

Olivia also spoke on the alleged rumors that she was distracted from her directing job due to her blossoming love with Darling star Harry Styles. Olivia and Harry, 28, went public with their romance in November 2021. “The idea that I had five seconds in the day to be distracted by anything is laughable,” Olivia told Vanity Fair. “I was there before everyone. I was there after everyone. And it was a dream. It’s not like this work was not enjoyable. It was just all-encompassing.”

Fans have speculated online about the feud due to Florence’s absence during press events for Don’t Worry Darling. She didn’t pose solely with Harry or Olivia on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. While some fans have done their best to dispute these allegations, the rift rumors persist in Florence’s silence, but Olivia isn’t having any of it.

After pointing out that Pugh is “one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe,” Wilde said that she “gather(s) that some people expect for her to be engaging more on social media. I didn’t hire her to post. I hired her to act. She fulfilled every single expectation I had of her. That’s all that matters to me.”