Olivia Wilde Admits Controversial Romance With Harry Styles Left People 'Pissed' Off: 'Our Happiness Made Them Mad'
Olivia Wilde opened up about her romance with Harry Styles like never before.
June 17 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
Olivia Wilde made rare comments about her romance with much-younger Harry Styles, admitting the relationship sparked fierce backlash and recalling how many people were openly "p----- off" by the high-profile pairing, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Wilde, 42, dated Styles, 32, for two years, splitting in November 2022 after falling for each other when she directed the pop-star-turned actor in the psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling.
Olivia Wilde Admits Relationship With Harry Styles 'Really Did Upset People'
Wilde and Styles dated for two years.
Wilde dished about the romance blowback during a June 17 appearance on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast. The host asked The Invite star why people found it so "triggering," as Wilde acknowledged with a hearty laugh, "It really did upset people. It was crazy. I don't know how much I understand it yet," the actress turned director shared about her divisive love story with the Golden singer.
Wilde hinted that it had to do with the age difference and power imbalance, since she was his boss on their film. She confessed, "I know that it has existed for a long time in our society. Like, I understand it had very little to do with me. It is something that we have we've done this to women for a long time. Why is it? I don't know. People were f------ p-----" about her headline-making romance with the former One Direction singer.
Olivia Wilde Gushes Over Her 'Beautiful' Romance With Harry Styles
Wilde said she had the 'loveliest relationship' with the singer.
Wilde went on to wax about how wonderful and "lovely" the time together with Styles was."It's wild because I mean, we had the loveliest relationship... like so sweet and so beautiful and like really, actually very domestic and kind and lovely," she raved.
The Change-Up star praised the duo's ability to block out the negative reaction.
"I think that we existed in this like little bubble, and the judgment never really got into that bubble, which was a miracle, a real testament to us making that happen," she explained.
Wilde said her going to Styles' shows and 'dancing' made people 'mad.'
Wilde acknowledged that the two's delight with each other fueled their haters.
"I think that people were mad. They were just... It's almost like the happiness made them mad. Like, I would go to his shows and dance, and people were like, 'Oh, how could she. You s---. How dare you dance and smile?'" Wilde shared about the flak she got on social media whenever she attended Styles' concerts.
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Olivia Wilde Clarifies Timing of Jason Sudeikis Split
Wilde and Jason Sudeikis were together from 2011 through 2020.
Wilde made it clear there was no overlap between her romance with Styles and the breakdown of her nearly 10-year relationship with Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, which produced two children.
The pair decided to split in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown began, although they didn't announce it until November of that year, by which point buzz had already begun that Wilde was involved with Styles.
"I always remember the date cause it was my birthday, but this is March 2020. March 10th. And Jason and I had been having a rough time of it for a while. Like we had a real bumpy bumpy ride. And we were driving home from my birthday party one of my friends had had. And I said, 'Did you give me a birthday present?' And he said 'What would I get you, Olivia? I don't know you.' And he wasn't wrong. We didn't know each other anymore," she revealed.
Wilde added, "And that was a point when we realized it was over, and it was f------ tough, and it brought us to the place of like, 'okay, this is done. We're going to end this.' And then, literally two days later, there was lockdown."
