Olivia Wilde doesn’t want Stephen Colbert to worry about the various rumors surrounding her new movie.
The Don’t Worry Darling director and actress appeared on CBS’ The Late Show on Wednesday ahead of the Warner Bros. film’s release this Friday, where she addressed many of the rumors surrounding the project, starting with Shia LaBeouf.
In early September, LaBeouf came forward and disputed Wilde’s claims that he had been fired from Don’t Worry Darling, saying he had quit the film and providing texts and videos showing her asking him to remain in the cast.
When asked by Colbert to clarify whether LaBeouf quit or was fired from the film, Wilde said she tried to mediate between the actor and star Florence Pugh.
“Once it became clear that it wasn’t a viable working relationship, I was given an ultimatum,” she told the late-night host. “I chose my actress, which I’m very happy I did. At the time, was I upset that we couldn’t make it work? Sure. Did information about him come to light later that made me feel confident that we made the right decision? Absolutely.”
Colbert then pushed her to clarify why LaBeouf thinks he quit while she thinks he was fired, to which she replied that as it happened, they both felt like they were moving on without each other.
The director then discussed the so-called ‘Spit-Gate’ speculation that had surrounded a viral video and led social media users to wonder if Harry Styles spat at co-star Chris Pine during the film’s premiere earlier this month in Venice. Film Festival.
“Another one of our weird Spit-Gate rumors that you may have heard about is I think…” Wilde said before being cut off by Colbert.
The host made it clear he wanted to ask Wilde about the rampage and appeared to read from his notebook: ‘Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Why or why not? Support your answer.”
Wilde laughed and replied, “No, he didn’t. But I think it’s a perfect example that people will look for drama anywhere they can. Harry didn’t actually spit on Chris…”
Colbert interrupted her again to quip: “Only time will tell.”
Pine’s team previously issued a statement vehemently denying that Styles spat on him. Additionally, Styles poked fun at the debate during a recent performance at Madison Square Garden.
Finally, Wilde responded to rumors that she and Pugh are “fighting.”
“I have nothing but respect for Florence’s talent,” he told Colbert. “She’s fantastic. She is currently filming Dune and there is nothing cooler than a busy actress. I have nothing against her for any reason.”
She went on to explain that she finds it interesting that none of her fellow male directors are asked questions about their cast, and the host agreed with her.
“People would actually talk about the movie itself,” Wilde said. “They are praised for being tyrannical. They can be researched over and over again, it doesn’t go beyond discussions of their actual talent or the film itself. This is something we have been waiting for. It’s just very different standards that are created for women and men in the world at large.”
The Late Show airs weekdays at 11:35pm on CBS.
