The crew members of Don’t Worry Darling put an end to the voices on the drama between director Olivia Wilde and actress Florence Pugh on the set of the psychological thriller.

Reports that Wilde and Miss Flo had a “screaming match” on set, among other rumors reported by Vulture, are “complete false,” according to the crew members, including writer and producer Katie Silberman, showrunner Miri Yoon, costume designer Arianne Phillips, and director of photography Matthew Libatique. 

“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 ‘source’ quoted in a recent article,” Silberman and co. told PEOPLE. 

“Any allegations about unprofessional behavior on the set of Don’t Worry Darling are completely false.” 

Wilde, “an incredible leader and director who was present with and involved in every aspect of production,” per the crew, “ran this set with class and respect for everyone involved.” 

The statement added: “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 benefited from the collaborative and safe space Olivia creates as a director and leader,” the crew members said. “We’re also thrilled that the movie is in theaters this weekend.” 

The statement came after Vulture reported a “blowout argument” between Wilde and Pugh in January 2021, rooted in Pugh’s supposed frustration with Wilde’s “frequent, unexplained absences” from set.

The filmmaker and Harry Styles, who are romantically involved, would “just disappear,” a source who allegedly spent “significant  time on set” told the publication.

Prior to the film’s release last Friday, Wilde made a guest appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday and talked about the alleged drama on set, describing the situation as a “soap opera.”

Per Wilde, “I mean, am I envious of my male colleagues in the way that they seem to be able to live their lives without as much judgment? Yeah, I think about it. I’m like, ‘That must be nice to be that guy. Everybody’s just, like, applauding just every move he makes.” 

Read also: Olivia Wilde on ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Fuzz: Media Coverage ‘Always Seems to be Different’

Don’t Worry Darling Still Shone

But this ongoing drama did not stop Don’t Worry Darling from topping the box office this weekend. 

The film featuring Pugh and Styles launched this weekend and opened at No. 1 with $19.2 million in 4,113 theaters in North America, according to Comscore. Adding its international earnings of $10.8 million, the movie accumulated a global total of $30 million. 

Pugh stars in the movie as Alice, a housewife in the 1950s living with her husband Jack (Styles) in a community called Victory. 

Experiences with fellow housewife Margaret (Kiki Layne) slowly pierced through the secret veil, with Alice starting to worry that her husband’s fantastic company is hiding dark secrets. 

The thriller also features Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Wilde, Sydney Chandler, and Timothy Simons. Kroll – who plays Dean, Jack’s work colleague and neighbor and husband of Wilde’s character, Bunny – talked to EW about the environment on set, unveiling that a specific scene with Styles was out of the script. 

The two made a quick peck on the lips in the first scene of the film – a scene they also remade on the red carpet at the movie’s world premiere during the Venice Film Festival. 

“We just went for it,” Kroll stated. “I was not like, ‘Hey, in this next take, let’s kiss.’ It was spur of the moment. As it was, frankly, in Venice as well.” 

Kroll joked, “But I definitely think my stock went up with my nieces and nephews. And every teenage girl and boy around the world.”

Read also: Don’t Worry Darling Press Con in Venice Stops Shia LaBeouf Question

 

Don’t Worry Darling launches itself to the world at the Venice Film Festival in Italy, meaning filmmaker Olivia Wilde and her cast has no choice but to face the press. 

Wilde faced a few direct questions during the press conference about the controversy involving stars Florence Pugh and Shia LaBeouf that has drawn pop culture movie fans for weeks. The director came with cast members Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Gemma Chan when a reporter queried her about LaBeouf’s previous statements involving the production. 

LaBeouf was originally part of Don’t Worry Darling, a thriller film set in the 1950s, but he exited the project later. 

Wilde previously stated that he departed as the actor “was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions,” according to Variety. 

LaBeouf repulsed these statements that implied he was fired and offered Variety with text conversations and a clip of Wilde calling Pugh “Ms. Flo” (that has been leaked since) to show evidence he quit due to lack of rehearsal time. 

Read also: Shia LaBeouf Was Not Fired from ‘Don’t Worry Darling’: He ‘Quit’

Reporters Rant on Don’t Worry Darling Press

The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Ritman tried to ask Wilde a question about LaBeouf at the Venice press conference; however, the moderator interfered. They stated that Wilde had previously talked about the “tabloid gossip”: “It’s on the internet.”

“Well, I just tried to ask Olivia Wilde a question about Shia LaBeouf at the DON’T WORRY DARLING press conference, but the festival wouldn’t let me,” Ritman wrote on Twitter after the event. 

Earlier, another reporter had asked Wilde about Pugh, who was interestingly absent for the conference although she has the leading role. But the latter appeared as planned on the Venice red carpet. 

“The internet feeds itself,” Wilde said, per the Associated Press report. “I don’t need to contribute; I think it’s significantly well-nourished.” 

She praised Pugh as “a force” and thanked her for arriving at Venice for the film’s promotion, although she had commitments with the sequel of Dune. 

Timothée Chalamet, also involved in Dune 2, showed up in Venice for a short appearance. He arrived to support his film Bones and All with his Call Me By Your Name filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. 

Wilde and her cast still have much time with the press as they take on the promotional tour for Don’t Worry Darling. But no one knows how they will or won’t talk about the reports of the drama behind the camera from now on.

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