What the Hell Happened: 'Don't Worry Darling's’ Trainwreck Press Tour

“Don’t Worry Darling” had everything going for it. The script sent studios into a bidding war over acquiring the follow up to Olivia Wilde’s widely praised directorial debut “Booksmart.” Anticipation only grew as Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh and Grammy-winning pop sensation Harry Styles were tapped to star in the project. News outlets and fans alike went as far as calling the film an early favorite for the 2022 Oscars. But much like the film’s idyllic setting in the fictional utopian town Victory, things aren’t always as they initially appear.

While “Don’t Worry Darling” has been a frequent flier on the Hollywood rumor mill, the press tour truly took a turn for the worst with the release of Variety’s cover story interview with Wilde. In the interview, Wilde spoke at length about her desire to show female pleasure in the film.

The comments came just days after Pugh criticized the film’s marketing push, which has centered the sex scenes between Pugh and Styles, telling Harper’s Bazaar “When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it.” Fans were quick to point out that Pugh has avoided posting about the film on social media and is largely absent from the film's press tour, missing both the Venice press conference and the upcoming New York premiere.

But the fallout from Wilde’s interview didn’t end there. Wilde also spoke about Shia LaBeouf, initially tapped to play Jack Chambers before being replaced by Styles, who abruptly departed from the project in 2020. While the studio initially cited scheduling conflicts, Wilde told Variety that she fired LaBeouf from the project because his process was “not conducive” to her goal of making Pugh feel safe and supported. LaBeouf was notably sued for Sexual Battery by his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs just months later.

LaBeouf quickly responded to Wilde’s comments, sharing emails, texts, and videos with Variety that allegedly confirmed he was not fired from the project but chose to leave. Screenshots also featured conversations that suggested Pugh and LaBeouf seemed to be on good terms. A video LaBeouf shared with Variety showed Wilde asking LaBeouf to stay on the project, saying this could be “a wake up call for Miss Flo” in reference to his co-star.

With the film’s reputation already in flames and a legion of movie buffs and Styles's fans breaking down every moment of its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, memes and gaffes were predestined for virality. From Styles’s riveting interview answers — “My favorite thing about the movie is that it feels like a movie” — to Chris Pine’s quickly memed reactions during interviews, the saga quickly transcended from Twitter topic of the day to mainstream pop culture fixation.

Every moment of the premiere has been assessed and picked over by internet fanbases. Shots of the cast seated at the premiere spread online last week, showing Gemma Chan and Chris Pine appearing to be uncomfortable buffers between Wilde, Styles, and Pugh. Meanwhile, a video of Styles allegedly spitting on Pine gained enough traction that spokesmen for both actors formally came forward to deny the allegations. But the true peak of the night may have been a shady post from Pugh’s stylist captioned simply “Miss Flo,'' along with behind-the-scenes shots of her team in custom shirts bearing the same phrase.

The film itself is now overshadowed by the drama and controversy surrounding its production. It would take an audience reception akin to “The Godfather” to erase the deluge of media controversy tainting the film’s legacy. But based on the film's lukewarm reception among early critics, a behind-the-scenes tell-all may be in higher demand than the film itself.

—Staff writer Jen A. Hughes can be reached at jen.hughes@thecrimson.com.