Olivia Wilde has responded to Shia LeBeouf’s claim that he wasn’t fired from Don’t Worry Darling – despite the director saying he was.
Last month, Wilde said that she had let the actor go from the project in order to create a “safe, trusting environment” on set.
The actor-director claimed that LaBeouf’s acting process “was not conducive to the ethos” that she demands in her productions, following claims that lead star Florence Pugh had grown uncomfortable with his presence.
LaBeouf immediately took umbrage with the quotes, sharing an email he sent to Wilde in which he said he quit the project, along with sharing a leaked video message from Wilde that he said disputed her claims.
However, Vanity Fair now reports that the video was sent before Pugh had expressed her doubts about LaBeouf as a co-star.
Wilde was prevented from answering a question about LaBeouf at the Don’t Worry Darling press conference at Venice Film Festival on Monday (5 September), but now, in a new interview, has addressed the subject.
Doubling down on her claim she fired LaBeouf, Wilde said: “This issue is so much more nuanced than can be explained in private texts released out of context.
“All I’ll say is he was replaced, and there was no going forward with him. I wish him the best in his recovery.”
The Independent has contacted LaBeouf’s reps for comment, but the article says the actor “absolutely denies any problematic behavior whatsoever” on the set of Don’t Worry Darling.
Elsewhere in the interview, Wilde cleared up rumours of a rivalry with Pugh, calling them “baseless”.
Don’t Worry Darling is released in cinemas on 23 September. Read The Independent’s review here.
