Olivia Wilde Speaks After Don’t Worry Darling Frenzy

Olivia Wilde says the viral, chaotic press tour for Don’t Worry Darling left her feeling “disconnected,” as rumors spread around her personal life while she still had to promote the 2022 film.

Olivia Wilde remembers what it felt like when the noise got louder than the work.

During a Wednesday episode of “Call Her Daddy. ” Wilde opened up about her 2022 “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour—one that became a viral spectacle as gossip swirled alongside screenings and premieres. She described feeling “disconnected” from the person people thought they knew. even while she tried to keep living her day-to-day life.

“I never felt more disconnected from the person that people were talking about,” Wilde told host Alex Cooper. She said the public chaos didn’t match what was happening privately. “There was all this public madness. but my private life was very far from it and very actually kind of like wholesome and sweet. ” Wilde said. She added that she found real happiness during the same period that fans were absorbing headlines: “I had a lot of like real joy and love and happiness during that time. It was like a tornado was right outside the door. and if you were inside you were like. it’s so nice.”.

Wilde tied that disconnect to the rumor mill that followed the tour. including claims that she was reportedly served divorce papers from her ex. Jason Sudeikis. onstage at CinemaCon. She also referenced another moment from the season’s headlines: during the Venice Film Festival premiere. Harry Styles—at the time her then-boyfriend—reportedly spit on Chris Pine.

But the hardest part for Wilde wasn’t just that rumors existed. It was what came with them: the constant churn, the feeling of not being able to get ahead of the story. She told Cooper it became difficult to just sit and listen as “one story after another” kept coming.

“I wanted to address everything all at once and then be done with it— but was advised not to. ” Wilde said. She explained why she didn’t hold her tongue at first. “It was so hard because I wanted to be like, ‘Can I just talk to people?. Can I just go and say like, that’s not true. That’s not true,’” she said. Then she recalled the pushback. “And he was like, ‘No, that won’t help.’ And that was really hard.”.

Wilde also framed the conflict as something bigger than just self-defense. She said she felt responsible for promoting a movie, not stepping into the role of the headline itself. “I was also responsible for, you know, promoting a movie. I was responsible for the movie,” she told Cooper. “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.”.

Her frustration still broke through. “I felt frustrated that I couldn’t defend myself. But it also felt like. OK. it’s not about you. not about you just get the movie out. ” she said. Wilde summed up the weight she felt with a line that landed hard: “The pummeling that I took was so insanely disproportionate.”.

Now, Wilde is looking forward to her next chapter on screen. She is gearing up for the release of “The Invite,” a film in which she both starred and directed. The cast includes Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton.

“The Invite” follows two couples—one on thin ice, another passionately in love—who convene for dinner. The film has earned “extremely positive reviews,” and it also became the center of a 72-hour bidding war before landing at A24 in an eight-figure deal.

Olivia Wilde Call Her Daddy Alex Cooper Don’t Worry Darling press tour Jason Sudeikis Harry Styles Chris Pine CinemaCon Venice Film Festival The Invite A24 Seth Rogen Penelope Cruz Edward Norton