Florence Pugh dashes off after premier of 'Don't Worry Darling': why tensions in the cast?

Florence Pugh looked stunning at the 'Don't Worry Darling' premiere in Venice. But the event was surprising, to say the least, especially with Pugh's speedy escape after the showing. The scandal-stricken movie is due to be released later this month but stories have been circulating surrounding the tensions of the cast and crew of the film.

The audience of Venice's film festival was happy to welcome singer and actor Harry Styles for the premiere of 'Don't Worry Darling.' It's the second film directed by Olivia Wilde - who, allegedly, is also Styles' partner.

Joining him and Olivia Wilde for the photo shoot were actors Gemma Chan and Chris Pine. But as it turned out, one important cast member was missing. Where was Florence Pugh?

Florence Pugh completely missed out on the press day of the film, possibly to avoid answering questions surrounding the drama. When asked about the film, the actress did, however, state in an interview on the red carpet at the premiere that she thinks 'it’s very very inspiring to see a woman push back and say ‘no’, and question everything. It’s very exciting to see a woman do that on and off camera.' But what was going on off camera?

Tension and whispers have been circulating around the names of Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, and Shia LaBeouf.  'Don't Worry Darling' - due for release in cinemas on September 23 - has caused quite a stir because of the tensions between some of its makers. There is a bubbling drama under the surface and we investigate what happened from the beginning.

The movie is a psychological thriller set in the 1950s, delving into a utopian community where all the men of the town work for the same employer. One of the worker's wives (Florence Pugh) discovers that his "glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets," the synopsis states.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The young actress from Oxford, England, started out in the drama 'The Falling' and turned heads when she won the Independent Film Award for her portrayal of Lady MacBeth in 2016. But her face became best known after she starred alongside Scarlett Johansson in Marvel’s 'Black Widow,'

In ‘Don’t worry Darling’, Pugh plays opposite Harry Styles. However, the lead male role was originally meant for another actor: Shia LaBeouf. People magazine recalls that Wilde announced the all-star cast in April 2020: Florence Pugh, Shia LaBeouf, and Chris Pine.

Olivia Wilde, originally an actress as well as director of this film, tweeted about the cast announcement: "This cast is B A N A N A S. I'm the happiest director in the world. To say that I'm honored/excited/elated/s----- myself would be a massive understatement."

Yet, despite the name of the film, it appears there was a lot to worry about, darling. Behind the scenes there were obvious tensions. In September 2020, Shia LaBeouf announced he had departed the film.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

At the time, Deadline announced that LaBeouf had exited the movie "due to a scheduling conflict." His role went to Harry Styles, the pop sensation-turned actor/model who proved his acting abilities in the 2017 movie 'Dunkirk.'

Now, most people would think that this was the end of the story. LaBeouf was reportedly off to film another project and Harry Styles seemed to be the perfect fit for the role.

Olivia Wilde even said to ‘Vogue’ in 2020 that Harry Styles has "a real appreciation for fashion and style and this movie is incredibly stylistic. It's very heightened and opulent, and I'm really grateful that he is so enthusiastic about that element of the process — some actors just don't care." So, all was going well with the movie, then?

In fact, as many already know, this introduction would mean something more to both Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles. Soon enough, they were pictured attending a wedding together and holding hands.
While, to this day, the couple have not confirmed their relationship, most people take it as a given. Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles are an item.

A few months into the filming of 'Don't Worry Darling,' a scandal erupted surrounding Shia LaBeouf. His girlfriend FKA Twigs accused the actor of sexually and physically assaulting her and filed a lawsuit in December 2020. LaBeouf denied the allegations, but he admitted on Jon Bernthal's 'Real Ones' podcast that he had "hurt that woman."

Now the question arose: did Shia LaBeouf leave 'Don't Worry Darling' - or get fired - due to his 'scheduling issues,' or was it because of this scandal? Insiders told Variety that he "exhibited poor behavior and his style clashed with the cast and crew, including Wilde, who ultimately fired him."

Without much more drama - aside from the ‘Stylers’ (Harry fans) hyping their idol's new romance - the filming continued and finished in a flurry of success. Wilde wrote alongside a photo of Styles on Instagram: "He didn't have to join our circus, but he jumped on board with humility and grace, and blew us away every day with his talent, warmth, and ability to drive backwards."

The positive vibes everyone was getting from this new film were astounding. Both actors and crew alike helped with the build-up. Audiences were revelling in the two teaser trailers that were dropped. Harry Styles fans couldn’t help but comment on the steamy scenes between him and Florence Pugh.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

In August 2022, Florence Pugh decided she wanted the world to know that, while Harry Styles was a huge celebrity, the film was much more than him alone. She told Harper’s Bazaar: "Obviously, the nature of hiring the most famous pop star in the world, you're going to have conversations like that… [But] that’s just not what I'm going to be discussing."

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

At that point, fans started to do some digging into the relationship between Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde. They studied Pugh's social media with a microscope and found out that the actress had not shared or liked some of Olivia Wilde's Instagram posts about 'Don't Worry Darling.' Was there a rift between her and the director?

Things got worse when a flimsy source allegedly told Page Six in July that Florence Pugh was critical of Olivia Wilde during filming. Wilde was still with her long-time partner Jason Sudeikis (pictured) but Pugh saw her with Harry Styles on set. The source told Page Six that "Flo seeing Olivia and Harry all over each other on set did not go down well, as Olivia was still with Jason when she first hooked up with Harry."

The plot thickened when it became known that Florence Pugh would only do limited promotional press for the movie. The reason, a studio executive said, was that she had to work on 'Dune 2' during the press tour of 'Don't Worry Darling.' But fans and journalists were suspicious all the same.

Olivia Wilde has been a little more vocal about the situation. She's trying to settle rumors by telling Variety that there has been "a lot out there that I largely don’t pay attention to." She also says that "tabloid media is a tool to pit women against one another and to shame them.”

But if the alleged 'rift' between the women is nothing more than gossip, the question about Shia LaBeouf remains. Was he fired because of allegations of abuse? On August 24, Olivia Wilde made a statement.

Wilde never explicitly said that she fired LaBeouf. However, her statement to Variety suggested it. "His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don't personally believe that is conducive to the best performances," she said.

"A lot came to light after [the sexual battery lawsuit] happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behavior," Wilde continued. "I find myself just really wishing him health and evolution because I believe in restorative justice.”

But that was not the end to the story. Shia LaBeouf hit back after Wilde's comments and wrote directly to Variety. He denied that he was ever fired at all. He had left the project due to a "lack of rehearsal time."

LaBeouf also shared an email that he had sent to Wilde. Variety published it entirely. "You and I both know the reasons for my exit," LaBeouf wrote to Wilde. "I quit your film because your actors and I couldn't find time to rehearse... Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape... It is not the truth."

Was the relationship between the two original actors one of the instigating factors of this feud? LaBeouf shared a video of Olivia Wilde, which she recorded and sent to Shia LaBeouf two days after he claimed he quit the project. In the video, Wilde said to LaBeouf about his co-star Florence Pugh: "…if you guys can make peace - and I respect your point of view, I respect hers - but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?"

The release of the video heightened fans’ speculation that there was indeed friction between the two women. Olivia Wilde said in the same video: "You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you're open to giving this a shot with me, with us."
A ‘wake-up call’ for ‘Miss Flo’? That doesn’t sound like a term of endearment.

It seems that until this mess is cleared up, no one really knows. Pugh seems to have distanced herself from the controversy, while Shia LaBeouf and Olivia Wilde have their own stories to tell. Either way, the scandal is certainly generating interest in the release of ‘Don’t Worry Darling.'

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures