Amidst controversy about her new film, Don't Worry Darling, director Olivia Wilde shut down a question about an alleged feud between her and actor Florence Pugh.
Rumors of bad blood between Wilde and Pugh started earlier this year, and Pugh has been primarily absent from promoting the film at the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered. As reported by the Independent, on a panel at the festival, Wilde received a question about the "falling out" between her and Pugh following Pugh's starring role in the film, to which she responded, "Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune." She then said that the so-called feud is nothing more than gossip, explaining, "As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don't feel the need to contribute, I think it's sufficiently well nourished."
Rumors of conflict come from a statement Wilde made in which she alleged that she had fired Shia LeBeouf from the film and replaced him with Harry Styles to foster a safe environment for Pugh. But LeBeouf fired back, explaining that he'd quit the project due to inadequate rehearsal time. To back this up, he released a private video from Wilde pleading for him to keep his role and seemingly throwing Pugh under the bus for not being cooperative enough in filming.
Amid rumors of the feud, Pugh's stylist Rebecca Corbin-Murray posted a series of photos captioned "Miss Flo" to her Instagram page. Fans and celebrities alike commented on the perceived shade, including Doctor Who actor Billie Piper who wrote, "Insane !!! Lol for caption." The caption was a direct reference to Shia LaBeouf's recorded conversation with Wilde in which she said "Miss Flo" needed a "wake-up call."
Florence Pugh Remains Focused and Unbothered Amid Feud Rumors
As for Pugh, despite the drama, she is already looking forward to new projects. She will return to reprise her role as Yelena Belova/Black Widow in Marvel's Thunderbolts, which reporter Justin Kroll described as "Marvel's Suicide Squad."
Many critics said that Pugh was a highlight in Black Widow. Eric Goldman noted that "Florence Pugh [is] a standout," and Erik Davis stated, "Florence Pugh CRUSHES it & is an instant MCU icon."
Pugh said that Yelena is an important role for her. "This film is about the abuse of women," she said of Black Widow. "It’s about how they get involuntary hysterectomies by the age of eight. It’s about girls who are stolen from around the world. It’s so painful, and it’s so important."
She also stated that she put a lot of herself into the role, explaining that the director, Cate Shortland, "really encouraged me to find the oddities of her and lean on that."
Don't Worry Darling hits theaters on Sept. 23, 2023.
Source: Independent