Fake news! Olivia Wilde finally addressed “spitgate” — shutting down the rumors that boyfriend Harry Styles spit on his Don’t Worry Darling costar Chris Pine once and for all.
In a teaser clip from her Wednesday, September 21, interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Wilde, 38, brought up the now-viral video that featured the “As it Was” singer, 28, seemingly spitting on the Star Trek star, 46, while returning to his seat at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month.
Wilde brought up the speculation as an example that “people will look for drama anywhere.” Host Stephen Colbert, however, wasn’t letting the Booksmart director off the hook without giving a straight answer about what did — or didn’t — go down.
“Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine, why or why not? Support your answer,” Colbert, 58, asked, to which the O.C. alum replied, “He did not! Harry did not spit on Chris.”
The comedian, however, wasn’t convinced. “Only time will tell,” he quipped, to which Wilde enthusiastically responded, “He really didn’t!”
Wilde isn’t the first of the Don’t Worry Darling cast and crew to shut down the “spitgate” speculation. After the clip sparked headlines, Pine’s rep vehemently denied the claims.
“This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” the Wonder Woman star’s rep said a statement to Us Weekly on September 6. “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
The 28-year-old singer, for his part, addressed the rumors with a sense of humor during his concert at Madison Square Garden on September 7.
“Wonderful to be back in New York, I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine,” Styles joked on stage. “But fraught not, we’re back and our job tonight is to entertain you and I promise, we are going to do our absolute very best.”
Spitgate, however, was just one of the social media sensations that spawned from the September 5 premiere of Don’t Worry Darling. Fans couldn’t get enough of the Princess Diaries 2 star photographing Florence Pugh on the red carpet, while others were entertained by his apparent disinterest at the press conference, labeling him “Disassociating Pine.”
Although Pine was present for the press, Pugh, 26, opted to skip the interview during her brief visit. While rumors persisted that there was tension between the Little Women actress and Wilde, the House alum downplayed any issues between them, referring to Pugh as a “force” that she was “honored” to have as their lead star.
“As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute; I think it’s sufficiently well-nourished,” she added when asked if there was any truth to the alleged conflict between the two women.
Wilde has faced a slew of drama since Don’t Worry Darling began production in October 2020. The New York native, who has been romantically linked to Styles since January 2021, had to deny rumors there was a pay disparity between the My Policeman star and Pugh. She also claimed she fired Shia LaBeouf from production to protect the Midsommar actress, however, the Even Stevens alum, 36, claimed he quit over the lack of provided rehearsal time.
