Don’t Worry Darlinghas been making headlines lately for the rumored on-set feud between director Olivia Wilde and lead actress Florence Pugh. In a new twist, forty members of the crew have penned a letter disavowing rumors of the feud, calling it “absurd gossip.”
Warner Bros.‘Don’t Worry Darlingis a psychological thriller about Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles), a couple living a typical 1950s suburban existence that begins to unravel when Alice starts to experience strange happenings. The film originally starred Shia LaBeouf (who is facing assault allegations) in the role of Jack, and Wilde recently made comments suggesting she replaced him for the comfort of Pugh, but LaBeouf released a video of Wilde asking him to return to the film and referencing Pugh as “Miss Flo.” The casting of Styles attracted controversy when he and Wilde began dating, though the timeline of her relationship with Jason Sudeikis allegedly overlapped. Pugh was reportedly unhappy about many of these events, which led to analleged on-set screaming match with Wilde, according to an anonymous source.
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Now, however, forty crew members have come forward and sent a letter toDeadline, where they specifically take umbrage at the idea that Pugh and Wilde engaged in such behavior while on set. “As a crew, we’ve avoided addressing the absurd gossip surrounding the movie we’re so proud of, but feel the need to correct the anonymous ‘sources’ quoted in a recent article,” the letter reads. “Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set of Don’t Worry Darling are completely false. Olivia is an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production. She ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved. There was never a screaming match between our director and anyone, let alone a member of our cast. We are happy to put our names on this, as real people who worked on the film, and who have witnessed and benefitted from the collaborative and safe space Olivia creates as a director and leader. We’re also thrilled that the movie is in theaters this weekend. We can’t wait for you to see it on the big screen.”
The forty members in the letter further affixed their names to it, and the full list of names can be found on Deadline. Their version of events is a staunch defense of Wilde, who has been facing the most scrutiny over thealleged behind-the-scenes drama with Pughin recent months. It seems as though the film was a never-ending source of gossip in the months leading up to its release.
The gossip surrounding Don’t Worry Darling doesn’t seem to be harming the box office intake of the film - it premiered at #1.Don’t Worry Darlingreviewshave been less-than-stellar, however, and it’s possible that the film is getting more attention due to the drama surrounding it. Pugh has skipped most promotional events for the film, which has further drawn audience attention toward it, though it has been said that this is actually due to her filming commitments toDune: Part Two.
Countless films have had similar troubled productions, or what was perceived as troubled productions. Sometimes, the perception alone is enough to draw audiences in. Scandal and notoriety are simply fodder for audiences. Though the crew now denies any form of a feud on the set, audiences already perceive the film to be troubled, and it is difficult to shake public perception.
