The forthcoming film Don’t Worry Darling and Olivia Wilde’s subsequent relationship could have looked a whole lot different. In September 2020, Shia LaBeouf — who had originally been cast in the film — was spectacularly replaced by Harry Styles. At the time a source for Variety cited that the director had a “zero a**holes policy” which saw him removed from the film.
In a new and candid interview with the publication, Wilde has gone into detail on his “poor behavior.” “I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work,” she said. “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.”
His exit was followed by accusations of assault and sexual battery by former girlfriend FKA Twigs who revealed in an interview that she was left with PTSD from the relationship. Wilde also touched on the allegations, saying, “A lot came to light after this happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behavior.”
The filmmaker continued, “I find myself just really wishing him health and evolution because I believe in restorative justice. But for our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive. Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported.”
Within the feature Wilde also denied rumors that she was feuding with actress and co-worker, Florence Pugh and addressed the moment she was served custody papers on stage at CinemaCon by her ex, Jason Sudeikis. “I mean, there’s a reason I left that relationship,” she said of the incident.
