There was plenty to worry about as it was.
Whether or not Harry Styles really did spit on Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival is still up for debate among fans and armchair sleuths alike. But the 42-year-old “Star Trek” actor’s camp is offering its own clarification about the alleged incident between the “Don’t Worry Darling” co-stars.
“This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” a rep for Pine told People. “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine.”
The actor’s camp went on to say, “There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
Video from the festival Monday shows Styles moving his mouth — though whether anything comes out of it is up for debate — and Pine looking down in his lap with a smirk before Styles sits beside him. Wilde in the widely circulated clip goes from happily clapping to looking as though she’s trying to not make eye contact with the men.
The hullabaloo over whether or not Styles did in fact hock a loogie at Pine is just the latest notch on the belt of off-screen spectacles surrounding Olivia Wilde’s hotly anticipated sophomore directorial outing, “Don’t Worry Darling.”
The allure of the psychological thriller has of late been fueled less by its all-star cast — led by Florence Pugh — and seeing whether the film lives up to 38-year-old Wilde’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, “Booksmart,” and more about alleged on-set tensions and more.
Wilde in an interview with Variety published last month discussed her “responsibility” to fire Shia LaBeouf — who originally played Styles’ role and left the production months before ex-girlfriend FKA twigs sued him for sexual battery during their relationship — due to the “combative energy” he allegedly brought to the set.
The remarks led the “Honey Boy” star and writer, 36, to provide the outlet with emails and videos allegedly sent by Wilde, in which she asked him to stay on board the project.
Wilde and Styles’ relationship also transitioned during the production, from a professional one to a romantic one — it’s not entirely clear when the former ended her engagement to baby daddy Jason Sudeikis. Wilde and star Pugh, 26, are also rumored to be at odds.
The “Midsommar” and “Black Widow” star has said little in the way of promoting the film, and has hardly returned Wilde’s repeated praise. The two also appear to disagree on just how important female sexuality is to the crux of the film, with Wilde repeatedly touting it and Pugh urging audiences to not just limit their viewing experience to the pleasure it supposedly conveys.
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