Olivia Wilde revisited the firestorm that engulfed her romance with Harry Styles, revealing fans were “f—ing p—–” about the 10-year age gap relationship.
Wilde and Styles began a whirlwind romance after meeting on the set of “Don’t Worry Darling” in 2020. The two dated for nearly two years before going their separate ways in November 2022.
Wilde reflected on the intense scrutiny that surrounded her relationship with Styles, arguing that fans’ strong reactions stemmed in part from the pop star’s uniquely passionate fan base. Wilde suggested the backlash wasn’t simply about her personally, but reflected the unique challenges that come with dating one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
“I think that it also had a lot to do with the kind of parasocial relationship people had with, have with him, which is a burden that is very weighty and not something I envy, and he carries it with grace,” Wilde said during an appearance on “Call Her Daddy.” “I think that is an enormous responsibility that all those stars have to carry that’s f—ing impossible. I don’t know. It’s wild.”
OLIVIA WILDE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT THE EXACT MOMENT SHE KNEW RELATIONSHIP WITH JASON SUDEIKIS WAS OVER
Despite the backlash the two faced, Wilde claimed she and Styles had the “loveliest relationship” that was “so sweet and so beautiful and really, actually, very domestic and kind and lovely.”
“I think that we existed in this, like, little bubble and the judgment never really got into that bubble, which was a miracle and testament to us making that happen,” Wilde added.
Advertisement
“I think that people were mad,” she continued. “It’s almost like the happiness made them mad. I would go to shows and dance, and people were like, ‘You s–t! How dare you dance and smile?’ It really did upset people, though.”
The backlash she experienced while dating Styles was part of the intense scrutiny she endured while doing press for her film “Don’t Worry Darling.” On the heels of her split from Sudeikis, the “Deadfall” star battled speculation of tension on set while juggling the focus on her new relationship with Styles.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
The chaotic press tour spawned a series of viral controversies, including the infamous “Spitgate” speculation involving Styles and co-star Chris Pine. Wilde described the time in her life as “f—ing bananas.”
“It was so strange. The world was also in a weird place because it was COVID. So like everything was topsy-turvy weird,” Wilde recalled. “But I’ve never felt more disconnected from the person that people were talking about. Like, I was like, ‘What? Who are they talking about? Who is that girl?’ It was also very strange to see complete fiction traded as fact.”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Wilde admitted the constant speculation left her eager to set the record straight, but she said doing so would have only fueled the frenzy.
“I wanted to be like, ‘Can I just talk to people?’ Can I just go and say like, ‘That’s not true?’ And it was like, ‘No, that won’t help.’ I was also responsible for promoting a movie…I was like, ‘It’s not about me. It’s about this movie that everyone worked so hard to make.’ And I felt like I was working on behalf of hundreds of people who had worked through COVID to make something really difficult. And I felt frustrated that I couldn’t defend myself, but it also felt like, ‘OK, it’s not about you. It’s not about you, just get the movie out.’ And the pummeling that I took was so insanely disproportionate.”
While she felt battered by the public narrative, Wilde said she found comfort in the life she was living away from the headlines.
“There was all this public madness, but my private life was very far from it and very actually kind of like wholesome and sweet…I had a lot of like real joy and love and happiness during that time,” she claimed. “It was like the tornado was right outside the door and if you were inside you were like, ‘It’s so nice.’ And then you’d open the door and be like, ‘Ah, like a f—ing like cow and a tractor would fly by.”
