Olivia Wilde has addressed Shia LaBeouf 's denial he was fired from her movie, Don't Worry Darling.
The actress-turned-director, 38, says she wishes Shia 'the best in his recovery' amongst other things, during a candid new chat about her latest film and the sensational rumours and drama attached to the project.
Olivia - who is dating Harry Styles - also acknowledges the speculation she and Don't Worry Darling's leading actress Florence Pugh are currently engaged in a bitter feud and claims she is unbothered by the 26-year-old British star's lack of social media promotion for their upcoming film.
Don't Worry Darling premiered at Venice Film Festival earlier this week and is set to be released worldwide later this month. Despite not even hitting cinema screens just yet, the thriller-mystery has already generated a huge amount of attention due to behind-the-scenes gossip and internet rumours.
Actor Shia was originally cast in the role of Florence's character's husband, Jack, in the movie, but reports first surfaced in 2020 that the Transformers star had been fired from the project. He was later replaced by singer Harry.
After his departure from the Don't Worry Darling set, Shia was accused of abuse by two women unrelated to the movie. At the time of the allegations becoming public, Olivia said: "It’s easy to fire someone compared to coming out and talking about abuse. That’s difficult. That takes courage."
Earlier this month, Shia sensationally hit back at claims he was fired by Olivia - sharing an email he sent to the director with Variety, in which he claims left the production because there wouldn’t be enough rehearsal time. A video message from Olivia sent to Shia then emerged online, showing the Booksmart director seemingly asking the actor to reconsider his decision and referring to lead actress Florence as 'Miss Flo'.
Discussing Shia's denial with Vanity Fair, Olivia says: "“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."
Following allegations of physical, mental, and emotional abuse being made against him in December 2020, Shia told The New York Times: "I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years…. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt."
According to Vanity Fair, a source with knowledge of Shia's exit from the production of Don't Worry Darling says the truth is complex. The publication reports the insider as confirming the actor was indeed unhappy with the limited rehearsal time Florence had available, and acknowledging that the actress was "uncomfortable with his intensity". They claim after being told she had to choose between the two stars, Olivia allowed Shia to believe he was quitting to spare his ego.
Away from the narrative involving Shia, Don't Worry Darling has also attracted internet speculation regarding the relationship, or seemingly lack of, between Olivia and Florence - with multiple theories and claims attached to both women over recent weeks.
Florence skipped the press conference at Venice Film Festival earlier this week - citing filming commitments for Dune's sequel in Budapest - and has shared limited posts across social media in relation to Don't Worry Darling ahead of its release.
Speaking about Florence's alleged online shade with Vanity Fair, Olivia says: "Florence is one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe.
"She’s on set on Dune. I gather 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."
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