EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Wilde Blames Harry Styles Fling Backlash for Wrecking Launch of Her First Movie Effort
Olivia Wilde is pointing fingers at her Harry Styles fling for her 'Don't Worry Darling' movie fail.
July 26 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Olivia Wilde has admitted the intense scrutiny surrounding her relationship with Harry Styles overshadowed the release of her psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling, leaving the director convinced the backlash derailed the film's launch and robbed audiences of conversations about its creative ambitions.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the actress and filmmaker, 42, reflected on the fallout during an appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast while promoting her new film, The Invite.
Olivia Wilde Breaks Her Silence
Wilde directed the 2022 thriller 'Don't Worry Darling' during the height of her relationship with Styles.
Wilde dated Styles after casting the singer in Don't Worry Darling, but their relationship ended as the pair were promoting the $30million movie in 2022. The production also became engulfed in online speculation over alleged feuds and off-screen drama, with Wilde now saying the attention surrounding her personal life ultimately eclipsed the work of the cast and crew.
Asked whether the publicity surrounding her breakup affected the movie, Wilde said: "I think it did hurt the film for sure because we didn't get to have the conversations about what the film was trying to say, which was a shame because so many people worked so hard to make that film in the depths of COVID.
"We made the film for $30million. I think it looks like a much more expensive film because of the work of people like Matty Libatique, who shot the film, Katie Byron, who production designed the film.
"But we never got to talk about that, so I think (the coverage of the split) hurt the film. It hurt me for sure, because I was so naïve up until that point about the grinder, the garbage disposal that the Internet can be."
She added, "So at this point, I have enough of a perspective on it, and that allows me to experience it as a fascinating time. It is interesting to witness a tornado from the inside."
'Would This Feel Quite Traumatizing?'
Wilde cast Styles in her movie.
A source close to the production said Wilde felt the attention on her romance with Styles overwhelmed discussion of the movie itself.
They claimed: "Olivia believed the film became secondary to the headlines. She was disappointed that years of work by hundreds of people were eclipsed by fascination with her private life rather than the story the filmmakers wanted audiences to discuss."
Wilde said returning to the promotional circuit with The Invite has been a far more positive experience, allowing the focus to remain on the work rather than her personal relationships.
She explained: "Well, it's interesting because this is my first time back into the press cycle since then and I did wonder, would this feel quite traumatizing?
"I find that the conversations around The Invite are so wonderfully interesting to me, and I've actually been allowed to have them. So, it's been actually kind of healing because I understand that it's not always a garbage disposal."
Wilde spoke about the fallout on 'The Louis Theroux Podcast.'
Another source said the director now feels more confident navigating public attention after the turmoil surrounding Don't Worry Darling.
They claimed: "That experience changed the way Olivia approaches publicity. She still believes audiences deserve to hear about the creative process, but she has learned how quickly online narratives can take over and drown out everything else."
Feud Rumors With Florence Pugh Resurface
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Wilde called the intense online media coverage a garbage disposal.
The release of Don't Worry Darling was also overshadowed by persistent rumors of a feud between Wilde and lead actress Florence Pugh – claims the director has repeatedly denied.
Speaking previously, Wilde said: "It is shocking to see so many untruths about yourself traded as fact.
"Florence had a really wise comment that we didn't sign up for a reality show, and I love that she put it that way, because it's as though the general public feels that if you are making something that you're selling to the public, you somehow have accepted that your life will be torn to shreds by a pack of wolves."
"No, that's actually not part of the job description. Never was," she declared.
