This will shock you, but guess who’s still talking? Olivia Wilde. The only saving grace with Olivia Wilde’s Elle “Women In Hollywood” cover is that this interview seemed to be conducted after her messy AF interviews in Variety and Vanity Fair. The VF cover was so chaotic that the VF journalist had to rewrite the whole thing after Olivia got exposed as a chronic liar and drama queen in her Variety piece. So here we are – Olivia uses this Elle piece to again make Don’t Worry Darling sound like it’s some kind of feminist masterpiece while also being about women’s sexuality and it’s also about ten other things. I haven’t seen it, but I know DWD is none of that. Some highlights from Elle:
Wilde is disappointed that DWD has been “minimized into bite-size TikTok points.” “This film is trying to ask big questions, but [it’s] ‘Let’s just focus on this sideshow over here.’ Having been a known figure for a while…makes me well-equipped to have a Teflon exterior. But it also means that you’re under a different kind of microscope. It’s brought my attention to the media and how it pits women against one another.”
Her future projects: Meanwhile, Wilde is developing, and set to direct, a Kerri Strug biopic with the working title Perfect, and reportedly has a deal with Sony to direct a hush-hush, female-centric Marvel feature. “A few of the things I have in development are about the raw determination of women. Clearly, I idolize women who survive a system that they feel challenged by.”
The untruths about herself: “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.”
DWD’s feminist perspective: “I’m very curious about our collective complicity in [upholding] the patriarchy. I found myself seeing a lot of content that was struggling to address feminist issues and instead becoming either really simplified or overly didactic. I had no interest in making a feminist parable that was judgy or that defined men as bad and women as good. I was much more interested in that tense space where we recognize our own participation in the system that objectifies us.”
On Roe v. Wade being overturned: “We knew about the movement to overthrow Roe long before we started making the film. It’s something that’s ever-present. I have been very involved in the pro-choice movement, and it’s introduced me to probably the ugliest, most depressing element of our culture in terms of [certain pro-life advocates] who have made vicious, violent threats against me. I mean, no one else has threatened to throw acid on my face other than a ‘pro-life mom.’ We had a bunch of Trump quotes up on our board when we were writing the script, and there was this gross tendency of Trump’s to be very nostalgic about a better time. What these men are referring to is a time that was horrific for anyone who wasn’t a straight white cis man. It was interesting to recognize that I had spent my entire life lusting after the iconography of this time when I would’ve had very few rights.”
On DWD’s sex scenes: “It’s interesting because Florence very wisely pointed out that a lot of attention has been given to the sex scenes. And I think she’s so right. I completely agree with her that it’s overshadowing everything else that the movie’s about, which is so interestingly ironic because one of the uses of sex in Victory is as a tool of distraction. When Florence pointed that out that this film is so much bigger and better than just the sex scenes, I was so happy that she said that because I feel the same way.”
On receiving ageist hate on social media: “It’s so interesting for me when that comes from women because I’m like, ‘Do you plan on not getting older? Or if you already are older, do you feel that you don’t deserve the same opportunities in life?’ It’s so sad to me to look at that and realize people have such small expectations for their own lives and they are projecting those expectations onto me. And I reject your projections.”
The crap about the sex scenes… one of Olivia’s “selling points” as she promoted DWD was that it was this sexy movie about female pleasure. SHE was the one hypersexualizing the story and trying to make it sound like it was some big, important treatise on sex from a female perspective. Florence Pugh, in her one interview to support the film, was simply like “please don’t focus on the sex scenes.” Now Olivia is like “yes, I totally agree!” Olivia is bonkers. As for Olivia’s future projects… I am genuinely interested to see if Olivia gets put in “director jail” and whether there are any short-term or long-term repercussions to DWD.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, cover courtesy of Elle.
-
- Italy, Lido di Venezia, September 05, 2022 : Olivia Wilde attends the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 05, 2022 in Venice, Italy.,Image: 719946075, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: **** World right excluding Italy ****, Model Release: no, Credit line: Ottavia Da Re / Agenzia Sintesi / Avalon
-
- Olivia Wilde – Don’t Worry Darling – Red Carpet – 79th Venice International Film Festival Venice – Venecia Film Festival – La Biennale Mostra dArte Cinematografica – Lido Venice 1.9.2022 -,Image: 719946997, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NOGER,NOAUS,NOSWISS, Model Release: no, Pictured: Dont Worry Darling – Red Carpet, Credit line: F.Altmann / Bang Showbiz / Avalon
-
- Venice, ITALY – Olivia Wilde seen arriving at the airport during the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Pictured: Olivia Wilde BACKGRID USA 4 SEPTEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Venice, ITALY – Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde attend the “Don’t Worry Darling” red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 05, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Pictured: Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde BACKGRID USA 5 SEPTEMBER 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: VERONESI / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Venice, ITALY – Celebrities attend the photocall for “Don’t Worry Darling” at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Pictured: Olivia Wilde BACKGRID USA 5 SEPTEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
She’s right, media does pit women against each other. But that’s not what’s happened in her situation. Olivia lied about almost everything that went down with that movie. Including disrespecting Florence. She’s a sneak and a liar and she’s trying to “not all where women this.” So gross and embarrassing.
There is an expression in Spanish “ la cara dura” and Wilde has become the living embodiment of it.
I marvel at her shamelessness and how effortlessly she gaslights to reframe the narrative. I mean we read the other articles. Florence Pugh wouldn’t even look at her in Venice and from this latest interview you’d think she and Florence are totally fine and great collaborators.
It’s not Teflon, it more that she’s obviously been getting away with this behavior for a long time, so it seems like it comes easy to her to flip script and justify her actions by making herself the victim of bad actors.
Came here to say the same. Shia Labeouf has the receipts of Olivia telling him he has to return to “teach Miss Flo a lesson”. IDk what that means
And Harry and Florence kiss was the other story.
BTW Has anyone noticed Harry looking a little trapped. She wants to move to London.
Girlfriend is an opportunist.
It makes me enormously uncomfortable when someone’s opinion of Olivia comes down to “her lies.” Truth is, we really have no idea what went down, and I feel like this attitude plays into yet another negative female stereotype. What would Meghan Markle say??!! The harlot, the liar, the two-faced conniver? Seriously, this same label has been thrown at Meghan Markle herself.
Disclaimer — Olivia’s eagerness to promote herself by being the self-proclaimed ambassador of true feminism really rubs me the wrong way. I don’t like it, just don’t.
But for the most part, I feel like going all in with “she’s a liar, don’t believe anything she says” when obviously we don’t have the full picture isn’t only reductive, but also seems like a lazy excuse to dismiss everything about her. Which we shouldn’t — she is a talented filmmaker in a male-dominated industry, and she’s a success at making her voice her. And I am looking forward to her super-secret squirrel Marvel movie.
I don’t know all that went down. I haven’t said much about her in the comments except for I didn’t like how she said called Florence Miss Flo in that video. It felt really patronizing and condescending. Beyond that, I wasn’t there. In this case, it just feels like Florence Pugh has not really said much about Olivia Wilde in interviews. As in Olivia’s name hasn’t come out of her mouth that often. But Olivia keeps taking about Florence. Like she’s still mentioning her in interviews. If Florence and her truly had a falling out, which seems likely but again idk, It would feel really uncomfortable to have that person still talking about you. Why even bring Florence up anymore? Like talk about what you want to talk about without name dropping the person again. If I was Florence and truly had a bad experience with my director and that director keeps talking about me, even in a positive way, I’d want that person to stop. At this point, I hope if OW continues to direct she takes this as a learning lesson. Don’t condescend your lead actress with nicknames like Miss Flo and then talk about them in interviews like that never happened.
Yes, none of us were presenter to what truly happened on the set of DWD and also off the set.
But I do know that Olivia is very dishonest and really unprofessional, she got caught, there are plenty of receipts.
She thinks that her ridiculous denials will help her in the ” post-TRUMP era of anything goes ” for the public to believe her lies, but most are smart enough to see who Olivia truly is.
Maybe Olivia learned a few TRUMP tricks from the quotes she had on the wall…
Calling her leading actress ” Miss Flo ” is so incredibly patronizing from the great feminist Olivia Wilde, she is the phony kind of feminist I’ve met before, unfortunately.
There is a very good reason why the leading actress avoided her female director and barely promoted her leading role in a glossy movie directed by a female director.
Sadly, very few films are directed by women, misogyny is a very serious problem and Olivia’s unprofessional behavior on the set of DWD is problematic, because women are held to a different standard than men.
She could have waited to hook up with Harry after the movie wrapped, she is acing like a hormone raging teenager when it comes to Harry.
Olivia is nearly 40, cool your engines lady and please act a bit better than the male directors, it helps all women, Olivia the feminist,
Fine. Let’s remove “liar” from the equation. How about miss O is manipulative and skillful at playing mind games! Not to mention her unnecessarily pompous use of certain phrases, which tends to conceal rather than reveal her mind frame. Honestly, Olivia Wilde spooks me.
Your analogy with Meghan sounds so far fetched and irrelevant I’m asking you how you came up with it. “The internet feeds itself”, really? Coming from her, I couldn’t think of a more condescending way to call us delusional loons who have nothing better to do than obsessively concoct and rehash falsehoods about her little raggedy life.
You can simply not play the Duchess card or the woman card to exonerate Olivia Wilde of trying to outfox the public and the actors she directed: first, she usurped a feminist prerogative saying she protected the female cast from a big bad wolf. She then proceeded to never directly address the awkwardness she herself created with that video to Shia. And now, she uses the lame defense line that consists in blaming the bamboozle that ensued on the media! Who, past the age of 6, uses the defense strategy that the dog ate the cake?
Unsurprisingly, OW is cunning enough to hijack the priciple of women’s solidarity, instead of diplomatically owning her mistakes. You’ll excuse me if I don’t fall for that perfunctory plead for togetherness. I’m just about aggravated by Olivia Wilde.
I watched DWD the other night – not as bad as I expected, Florence is good as always, but it really dragged in the middle. It had some interesting ideas, but I don’t see it as the huge ground breaking thing Olivia feels it is.
LOL at her peppering this interview with smart things Florence has said, as if we don’t know all that happened. Nice try.
I thought it was such a week film. The ending is open with no resolution or safety for the main character and it does a poor job of both examining the ideas it is trying to reference, as if somebody is copying a first year feminist studies essay. I’m just baffled by it, especially when the films it is trying to reference just do it so much better and smarter(like the original Stepford wives)
However, I thought Florence was good and the film looked good. More than anything, I found the film underbaked and intellectually lazy. I wonder what OW’s next set will look like?
I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment on the movie, but “underbaked and intellectually lazy” also describes some of the quotes from the interview above. Obviously that’s an edit of an already edited conversation (and it’s an interview for Elle) but what Olivia is saying there isn’t as profound as I suspect she thinks it is. I wonder if that translates into the movies she makes?
ETA: This idea that women are complicit in the societal structures that limit and oppress them is neither new nor a thing of the past – just look at how many white women in Georgia voted for a white Republican man for governor, rather than a black woman.
Watched Don’t Worry Darling earlier this week — I thought it was a great film and a strong follow-up for Olivia to Booksmart. Personally, I thought it was a interesting look at, as she describes in this interview, women who uphold patriarchal values as long as it benefits them, even if they know it’s to the detriment of other women.
She’s a talented director, and it genuinely concerns me that critics panned it so extensively, because it was not a poorly made film. People who do far far worse don’t get put in “director jail” so I certainly hope she doesn’t.
It’s always more than a bit embarrassing when a movie was clearly anticipated by a studio to be an awards contender, and it belly flops and/or chokes like this one did. All this press was lined up or completed months ago with the expectation she’s be on the campaign trail. Now it just feels like…ummm, you’re still here? *Cringe*
Agreed. It’s not a horrible film but it was built up to be so much more, when it really is quite derivative as OW stole so much imagery from other movies.
There were the obvious comparisons to “Pleasantville”, “The Truman Show”, and “Stepford Wives” and I would see visual and thematic parallels to “Black Swan” and episodes of “Black Mirror.” The most glaring ripoff, however, is a scene involving Gemma Chan and Chris Pine, which pretty much borrows directly from the incredible, “Ex Machina.”
As soon as I saw that, I was like…”Olivia, please. Others did it first and they did it better. You are breaking zero new ground.” And then I read this interview and she’s still going on about her little movie like it’s “Mulholland Drive” and I really just can’t wait for her to disappear for awhile. Other actress-turned-directors with far larger profiles (Angie, anyone?) have shown far more humility and grace. And the subject of their films are heavy and hard-hitting. OW needs to let her films do the talking and stop trying to shove her feminist talking points down our throats.
Mulholland Drive was so good.
Ooooo, Ex Machina was one of those incredibly good films that I have absolutely no desire to watch again, lol. So good but I never want to go back.
What happened to the grand old Hollywood tradition of putting a humiliating crash-and-burn behind you ASAP and speeding off to your next project? She should want folks to forget this mess, no?
She sounds like such a self-satisfied, pretentious tool.
Yes!!!
Fake performative feminist who talked sh@t about FP in order to try to convince an abusive a-hole, who FP was clearly uncomfortable with, to come back to the project. I also believe the stories of how she was largely absent from directing and that pissed FP off. She’s one of those people who wants to be seen as a director but doesn’t do the actual work.
I’m gonna need her to take Florence’s name out of her mouth. It’s like she’s created this fantasy friendship with Florence and using it as a shield.
And yet here you are complaining about OW and a film you have yet to see. You so hope her directing career is curtailed because she lied and yet there are male directors accused of far worse behavior and they don’t receive half as much attention. Not saying bad behavior should be excused, but the level of anger at OW has been over the top.
Hope this was meant for me??? I said nothing of the sort. Just simply that Florence’s behavior and Olivia’s own words in a video message made it known they aren’t best buds, so it’s odd that she’s using Florence’s talking points as a way to shield herself from criticism.
This. She keeps quoting Florence as if they conversed and are on the same page. Transparent manipulation…Note to OW: Flo, and the rest of the world, has moved on.
She was the only talking what a happy family her set was. Florence and Chris Pines looked like prisoners during the premiere.
Chris was furious. He’s a wonderful actor and deserved more than that sh#t fest.
Please stop giving OW PR.
I agree with above comment, she has been proven to be a sneak and a liar.
Not watching anything she is involved with.
I was just thinking the same thing. Just about each time I read something it’s on OW!. Enough already.
Another cover? Woo! I saw DWD streaming and I think it would have been much better received if ole Olivia just let her actors do the talking like most movies do. I mean of course Flo wouldn’t but the best Chris had a big part. She has a certain visual flair and that will get her a lot of movies just like the guys get. And I agree women are always pitted against other women and I will try to be more aware of when I’m doing that myself and
Did a PR/crisis manager give her more talking points? Her current word to associate with Florence is ‘wise’. It all just feel very pretentious and shallow/insincere.
Oh- so she’s FLORENCE now, huh? Not “Miss Flo? I truly cannot stand this woman. She is a complete narcissist.
This reminds me of TSwift blaming the media for her fight with Katy Perry. Like ma’am? You started it.
She is getting way too much airtime. When was the last time you saw a director getting this much coverage?!
Isn’t Olivia Wilde directing a Spiderman movie? With Dakota Johnson and whaterface from Euphoria?
You’re thinking of Madame Web with Dakota Johnson. SJ Clarkson is directing that.
I think there were rumors that Olivia was going to direct a MCU movie (Madame Web is a Sony film) but after DWD, I kind of doubt thats still in the table. Maybe though.
She is insufferable. I really loathe her.
Same! Is there one photo in existence where she doesn’t look like the smug, bitch she is??
I disliked her from back to the show Vinyl so this has aero to do with the recent crap.
So she’s saying complimentary things about Florence in this interview now when, she literally threw her under the bus to the point where she refused to do all but one appearance to promote the movie and didn’t say a word. Sure Olivia, too little too late and it’s clear you’re talking out of two sides of your mouth.
I think she is smart to have never said a negative word about florence.
But she did. In her phone message to Shia she said “You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us.”
I think referring to Florence as *Miss Flo* is negative, so was telling Jason Sudeikas that *Miss Flo* was having a fling with Harry Styles when it was Olivia all along.
You’re trying to be sarcastic right?
1. I think Olivia is desperate to keep Florence from spilling any dirt. She is constantly agreeing with everything Miss Flo says and complimenting her at every chance. So I’m not shocked at all that Olivia turned on a dime overnight and suddenly aligned her talking points with Flo. Now what I am curious about…..
What does Flo know that causes Olivia to bend the knee so quickly and often. It must be really really interesting.
2. I think Olivia will continue to be publicly and officially praised as a talented director. Her still addressing the movie tells me that she must be taking a serious hit from the public with her likability numbers.
Now unofficially….unless she has a friend give her a big favor….I think she’s back to the little leagues. Indy/art house movies on a shoestring budget.
Because if she really abandoned her post, so to speak…..and for a relationship….she won’t be forgiven by financiers who fund Hollywood
She’s trying to pivot now, but the fact that she ever hyped up DWD’s sex scenes as girl power when the movie reveals were never consensual is distasteful to say the least. Wilde is either being (wildly) disingenuous, or, if she actually doesn’t realize what the twist in the movie she directed means, she should never have been in control of this project in the first place.
I just went to look up when Don’t Worry Darling is coming out on DVD and discovered it’s still in theaters and has grossed $86M. So I think we may be seeing more Olivia Wilde films. That said, what will probably happen is that her level and flavor of shenanigans will get baked into how people choose to deal with her. It’ll be very interesting to see who chooses to work with her next time.
Olivia needs to give it a rest. As Shakespeare wrote: Methinks she protests too much.
Olivia really doesn’t know when to stop. She is such a mess lol. I’m Team No One in this though. I was firmly Team Flo at first. I felt bad for her when those Harry Styles/Olivia Wilde love traingle headlines started floating after Nanny’s tell all interview. But based on her Halloween IG post she clearly enjoys the attention/drama since it positions her as the hero and Olivia as villain. It reeks of immaturity and bratty attitude. Why feel sorry for someone who is clearly enjoying it?
There are so many other people doing compelling creative work with integrity. Stop covering her, please.
I’m amazed anybody would believe Olivia.
I’s stunning to me that I trust Shia, but I have no choice, the receipts prove Olivia is a liar, delusional and a fake feminist who is trying to milk it all for her own benefit.
I feel bad for Flo and other cast members, it seems that Olivia created quite a toxic and very unprofessional set.
If the leading actress is not promoting the film she is so prominently part of and can even barely look at her female director, something really terrible had to have happened.
I think Olivia is nearing 40, the acting parts are drying up in the very youth obsessed film industry and let’s be honest, she was never a big time actress.
Olivia is hassling to become a director in a hurry, hence the lying, gaslighting, unprofessional, toxic behavior. fake feminism…..
Women like her just play into the narrative in our patriarchal, misogynistic society that paints women in such unprofessional light.
Actually, what pisses me off by far the most is the one thing that could possibly impact me. I want sexy movies about female pleasure. We need them. Don’t Worry Darling is NOT THAT. Not that to an infinite degree. She’s lying about the theme of her movie. That is artistically repugnant, and makes me not want to see anything she works on ever.
Yeesh. Is Wilde _still_ going on about this? See, that is her problem in a nutshell–she’s starting to put PR/settling scores over doing good work. She should be concentrating on getting her next project in shape. Though how many actors and crew are gonna want to deal with her seemingly endless manipulations and gaslighting? Bad enough when one gets stuck with a stealth manipulator–who would knowingly walk into working with one?
We have been sick this weekend and binge watching tv. So we watched DWD. I really liked it. Florence was magnificent. Is it the greatest movie of all time? No. But I liked it.
Remind me again what male directors get away with?