Florence Pugh responds to ‘unfair’ questioning about Olivia Wilde feud

Florence Pugh with short blonde hair and Olivia Wilde with long brown hair
Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde reportedly didn’t see eye to eye Don’t Worry Darling (Picture: Getty)

Florence Pugh has swerved a question about her rumoured feud with Olivia Wilde on the set of film Don’t Worry Darling.

It was claimed the Midsommar actress, 28, and the director, 40, clashed behind the scenes while filming the psychological thriller released in cinemas two years ago.

Speculation of a rift was exacerbated when Florence skipped several promotional duties, although it was later claimed her absence was due to scheduling conflicts as she was shooting Dune 2.

The We Live In Time star has never directly addressed the rumours, explaining in an interview with Vogue that she found it ‘unfair’ to dwell on Don’t Worry Darling when promoting other films.

When asked about the alleged drama, Florence told the publication: ‘There are so many times when I’ve been doing press for a movie and I am asked questions about [Don’t Worry Darling] and I always think it’s unfair to take the space away from the movie that I’m talking about. So I’m going to politely move away from that.’

Olivia has previously quashed rumours of a clash, telling Elle Magazine: ‘This film is trying to ask big questions, but [it’s] “Let’s just focus on this sideshow over here”.

Florence Pugh in a black pencil dress standing in a bedroom for the front cover of British Vogue
Florence said she ‘politely’ wanted to move away from Don’t Worry Darling (Picture: Vogue/Venetia Scott)

Florence Pugh in a white dress lying on a bed for British Vogue
She told Vogue she would rather ‘give space’ to her other projects (Picture: Vogue/ Venetia Scott)

‘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.

‘It is shocking to see so many untruths about yourself traded as fact.’

She heaped praise on Florence’s acting capabilities and described her performance in Don’t Worry Darling as ‘exquisite.’

The Booksmart director told Vanity Fair: ‘Florence did the job I hired her to do, and she did it exquisitely. She blew me away. Every day I was in awe of her, and we worked very well together.’

Florence Pugh as Alice and Harry Styles as Jack in Don't Worry Darling
There were claims Olivia ‘neglected’ Florence as she was taken with Harry (Picture: AP)

Nick Kroll, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival
Florence cut her promotional duties for Don’t Worry Darling – but it was claimed it was because of filming for Dune 2 (Picture: Kate Green/Getty Images)

Discussing the star’s highly-publicised lack of promoting for the movie, she added: ‘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.’

It was claimed the alleged feud was sparked because Olivia ‘neglected or alienated’ Florence on set because she was so taken with co-star Harry Styles, who she started dating before splitting in 2022.

Don’t Worry Darling follows unhappy housewife Alice (Florence) and her husband Jack (Harry) who live in an isolated, dystopian community in the California desert in the 1950s.

See the full feature in the October issue of British Vogue available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 24 September.

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