How did Olivia Wilde become the villain in this Hollywood story?

Listen to this story being read by Keryn Donnelly, here.

Nothing moves faster than the tide turning against a famous woman. 

Especially a woman who has been deemed 'unlikeable' and is dating a man who is roundly loved. 

I'm talking, of course, about Olivia Wilde. 

Over the past six months, Wilde has been on the promo trail for her upcoming dystopian thriller movie, Don't Worry Darling. The film stars Florence Pugh opposite Wilde's now-boyfriend Harry Styles, and it's been surrounded by so much controversy, the title has become a meme-able joke. 

Because, darling, we're worried. 

Watch the trailer for Don't Worry Darling. Article continues below. 

First there was Wilde's burgeoning relationship with Styles, who she met on the set, when he was her rising star and she his director. Then there were the rumours that Pugh was unhappy about the on-set relationship and the distraction it caused to the production. And then, of course, there was Wilde being served custody papers on stage by her ex-partner Jason Sudeikis, while she was presenting about the film. 

For the past few months, there have been rumblings about Wilde's 'unlikeability' on the internet. Wilde and Pugh have been pitted against each other. Headlines have accused them of being locked in a bitter feud. TikTokers have presented theories about the 'real Olivia Wilde'. Her relationship with Styles has been branded a 'PR move'. 

Then last week, Wilde was profiled by Variety magazine. In the profile, she gushed about the experience of working with Pugh and Styles. She talked about her relationship with Sudeikis and that on-stage moment, hinting there was a reason she "left that relationship". Then she spoke about her experience working with Shia LaBeouf. In the profile, Wilde said that LaBeouf was originally cast in the role Styles would eventually take on, but she had to let him go, for the safety of the cast. 

"I say this as someone who is such an admirer of [LaBeouf's] work. 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. 

"I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job."

The comments didn't come as a surprise to many, given the allegations levelled at LaBeouf just a few months after he left the project. In December 2020, British musician FKA Twigs filed a domestic violence lawsuit against the actor. The suit accused the 36-year-old of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress. At the time the actor told The New York Times that "many" of the allegations were "not true", but he acknowledged her right to air the claims and conceded that he struggles with alcoholism and aggression. 

LaBeouf also had a long history of public disturbance and was known for his intense method acting. 

Over the weekend, LaBeouf began his own promotional trail. But he wasn't just promoting a movie, he was also promoting the new, improved version of himself. A remorseful newly minted member of the Catholic church, who is very sorry about all the harm he's caused. He admitted to hurting Twigs and others, and said he had been working on himself during his time out of the spotlight. 

It was a well-played redemption arc made even sweeter by the fact that Wilde had brought him back into the public's consciousness only days early. 

Once he had spoken about his path to redemption, LaBeouf forwarded two emails to Variety he claimed to have sent to Wilde after the profile was published. 

"I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired, however," he wrote in one the emails. "You and I both know the reasons for my exit. 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, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth. So I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can."

He later shared a video with the publication that Wilde allegedly sent him, two days after he claimed he quit the film. In the video, Wilde, who is driving in her car, seems to be attempting to convince LaBeouf to rejoin the cast. 

"I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I, too, am heartbroken and I want to figure this out," the director said in the 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. If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and 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?"

It was the line "a wake-up call for Miss Flo" which the internet really took and ran with. For many, those words confirmed their suspicions. It was the smoking gun in this entire Hollywood story. Wilde was the villain here, and she'd just been caught out in a lie. 

The tide turned. And the wave hit. 

Within hours, there were millions of responses online. Gossip websites ran pieces about Wilde finally showing her true colours. TikTokers gleefully posted reaction videos. The internet was firmly team Pugh. 

But in all this drama, very few have looked at the source of the smoking gun. The man behind the leak and the timing of it. 

In the matter of a weekend, LaBeouf was able to execute the perfect comeback story. To be hailed as someone who was wrongly done by. No one on TikTok or Twitter or on the pages of the biggest publications were talking about LaBeouf's history or his possible motivations behind leaking the video. 

In that same weekend, Wilde was branded an 'unlikeable woman'. A duplicitous villain who put the needs of a troubled male actor over those of a rising female star. 

The truth is, we don't know what happened on-set between Wilde, Pugh and LaBeouf. We don't have the context behind the video. Wilde could have been throwing Pugh under the bus. Perhaps she has been difficult to work with. Or perhaps it was just a director trying to placate a difficult star. 

What we do know is that Wilde has been firmly painted as the villain and has been on the receiving end of a lot more vitriol than a man who less than two years ago was accused of violence against women. A man who admitted that he struggled with alcoholism and aggression. 

It says a lot about how easy it is to be hated as a woman and how easy it is to be redeemed as a man in Hollywood. 

Perhaps next time, before we paint someone as a villain, we could look at the story from all angles. See all the players involved and their possible motivations. And stop the tide before it turns. 

But that probably wouldn't be nearly as fun, would it? 

Keryn Donnelly is Mamamia's Pop Culture Editor. For her weekly TV, film and book recommendations and to see photos of her dog, follow her on Instagram and TikTok. 

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