Olivia Wilde has responded to claims that she has “abandoned” her children in the wake of her split from Jason Sudeikis.
The thirty-eight-year-old hit back at her critics during an interview with Elle.
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Wilde has been in the news a lot recently in the wake of her new movie Don’t Worry Darling.
The star has made the transition from actress to director once before with the acclaimed 2019 comedy film Booksmart.
However, when the first trailer for Don’t Worry Darling was released back in May, many fans were shocked by how steamy the movie appeared to be.
The thriller follows Florence Pugh as Alice, a housewife in the fifties, and her husband Jack, played by Harry Styles. Things begin to unravel for Alice as she discovers what dark secrets Jack is hiding.
One thing many people have picked up on is how prominent the s*x scenes are in the trailer, despite the premise of the movie appearing to be totally different.
However, Pugh spoke out about her thoughts on the raunchy scenes with Styles in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Despite not being overly impressed with how the character has been portrayed, she admitted this was understandable due to who she was working with.
“When it’s reduced to your s*x scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it. It’s not why I’m in this industry,” Pugh told the outlet.
“Obviously, the nature of hiring the most famous pop star in the world, you’re going to have conversations like that,” she continued. “That’s just not what I’m going to be discussing because [this movie is] bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that.”
Those comments caused speculation to rise online that there is tension between Wilde and Pugh, with fans highlighting how Pugh has barely posted anything to do with the movie on her socials.
She finally made her first post last week, sharing a trailer — minus the s*x scenes — along with the blunt caption: “‘Not everyone gets this opportunity…’ Not long now! Only in theatres September 23rd #dontworrydarling.”
Now Pugh isn’t one to wait until the last minute to promote a movie, especially when she plays the lead.
Comments were also made by fans after Wilde praised Pugh on Instagram, writing: “Watching this woman work was such a f**king thrill! Cannot wait to show you more. @florencepugh.” A post that Pugh totally ignored.
And Pugh failed to return the favor to Wilde when filming ended back in February 2021, instead, she praised all the COVID-19 nurses and health workers who worked on set ensuring they could carry on filming through the pandemic.
Considering everything, it didn’t take long for social media users to come up with theories as to why Pugh refused to acknowledge Wilde after working on the movie. Many were left wondering if it had something to do with the overpromotion of the s*x scenes.
One Twitter user wrote: “Florence: sucks that ppl are reducing this film to my s*x scenes with harry, Olivia: female pleasure !!!, cl*t test !!!! good s*x,” referring to Wilde constantly leaning into the s*x hype.
“Florence speaking out on dont worry darling and dragging Olivia Wilde in the process bc she is marketing it around s*x when that’s not what the movie is actually about is just chef’s kiss!” a second said. “Thank you for your service Flo, a real trooper.”
Another added: “Olivia Wilde needs to stop promoting dwd like it’s a p*rno. Clearly, Florence isn’t okay with it, and Wilde needs to stfu and stop making it all about the s*x scenes.”
Someone else tweeted: “Florence rly said put [some] respect on our names Olivia and I’m so here for it.”
Others pointed out that as well as failing to mention Wilde in any of her interviews and promotion of the film, she also reposted multiple Instagram posts on her stories congratulating her on her HB cover, all the while ignoring Wilde’s.
One fan said: “Florence once again had the opportunity to cease the rumors about her and Olivia by reposting her story like she did for harris and gemma but chose to ignore her. love that for her.”
But it’s not just the movie’s s*x scenes people are claiming have caused a rift between the 2, it’s also how Wilde acted while directing the movie that many are alleging rubbed Pugh up the wrong way.
Some have suggested it could be down to Wilde and Styles’ behavior while on set together, claiming they were “all over each other” making Pugh “uncomfortable.”
While others think it could be the fact that Pugh was paid just $700,000 as the leading lady, while Styles made a whopping $2.5 million although he only played a supporting role, as previously reported by Showbiz Galore.
In a recent interview with Interview magazine, Wilde revealed the true inspiration behind the character of Frank, played by Chris Pine, in Don’t Worry Darling with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.
“We based that character on this insane man, Jordan Peterson, who is this pseudo-intellectual hero to the incel community,” said Wilde.
Wilde asked: “Do you know Incel?”
Gyllenhaal, however, was not at all familiar with the word.
Wilde explained the “incels” as a community of “disenfranchised, mostly white men, who believe they are entitled to s*x from women”
She added: “They believe that society has now robbed them – that the idea of feminism is working against nature, and that we must be put back into the correct place.”
For any who don’t know, Peterson started to get public attention in the late 2010s for voicing his controversial opinions.
Many of which are anti-political correctness.
“This guy Jordan Peterson is someone that legitimizes certain aspects of the incels movement because he’s a former professor, he’s an author, he wears a suit, so they feel like this is a real philosophy that should be taken seriously,” Wilde added.
Jordan Peterson responded to Wilde’s comments…
Talking to the National Post, Peterson said: “Now, [Pine] has a reputation as quite an attractive man … so that could be worse.”
He also added that he hopes Pine does his wardrobe justice in the movie.
“I also hope that Chris Pine at least does the sartorial splendor of my very formal public wardrobe justice as he pillories me,” he said.
He described the movie as: “The latest bit of propaganda disseminated by the woke, self-righteous bores and bullies who now dominate Hollywood.”
And now, the star has hit back at her critics against claims that she has “abandoned” her children.
She spoke about her experience of motherhood during an interview for Elle.
The star of The Lazurus Effect shares 2 kids with fellow actor Jason Sudeikis.
Their son Otis is aged 8, and daughter Daisy is 6 years old.
Wilde said: “If I’m photographed not with my kids, people assume I have abandoned them, like my kids are just somewhere in a hot car without me.
“The suggestion is that I have abandoned my role as a mother,” she continued.
However, Wilde revealed just exactly why she is rarely seen out and about with her kids.
She said: “You know why you don’t see me with my kids? Because I don’t let them get photographed.”
“Do you know the lengths that I go to to protect my kids from being seen by you?” she continued.
Wilde and Sudeikis share custody of their kids, but it hasn’t been the easiest of parenting journeys…
Back in April this year, Wilde was served custody papers during a stage appearance at CinemaCon.
Sudeikis said he did not know that this was going to happen and said that he felt “great distress at the manner in which service was made”, as per The Independent.
Then in August, the Ted Lasso actor’s custody claim for the children to live with him in New York was dismissed.
The courts declared their home state as California.
Wilde spoke to Variety in the wake of the CinemaCon drama: “The only people who suffered were my kids, because they’ll have to see that, and they shouldn’t ever have to know that happened.
“For me, it was appalling, but the victims were an 8- and 5-year-old, and that’s really sad.”
“I chose to become an actress; I willingly walked into the spotlight. But it’s not something my children have asked for,” she said.
What do you think?