‘The Invite’ Star Olivia Wilde Claps Back at “F—ing P*ssed” Critics Over Harry Styles Age Gap

Olivia Wilde has spoken about the intense public reaction she faced during her relationship with singer Harry Styles, saying the criticism surrounding their 10-year age difference was difficult to understand and deeply affected her.

During an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Wednesday, June 17, Wilde reflected on the attention she received after she and Styles began dating. “It really did upset people. It was crazy,” the actress said, adding that she is still trying to understand why the reaction became so strong.

Wilde and Styles met while working together on the 2022 movie Don’t Worry Darling, which Wilde directed. Their relationship began in 2021, shortly after Wilde ended her engagement with actor Jason Sudeikis, with whom she shares two children. The couple’s romance quickly became a major topic of discussion, with people focusing on their age difference, the timing of the relationship, and the fact that they worked together professionally.

Wilde has previously denied any suggestion that there was an overlap between her relationship with Styles and her breakup with Sudeikis. In her recent interview, she explained that she believes much of the criticism was connected to larger social attitudes toward women.

“I know that it has existed for a long time in our society, like, I understand it had very little to do with me,” Wilde said on the podcast. She added that reactions toward women dating younger men have been happening for years and questioned why society continues to judge those relationships so heavily. “People were f**ing pissed,”* she said.

The actress also discussed the unique pressure that comes with being in a relationship with someone as famous as Styles. She suggested that some of the backlash may have come from fans’ strong emotional connections with the singer, often described as parasocial relationships.

Speaking about Styles without directly naming him, Wilde praised the way he handles public attention. “It is a burden that is very weighty and not something I envy, and he carries it with grace,” she said. She described their relationship as something private and meaningful despite the outside noise.

“We had the loveliest relationship, like, so sweet and so beautiful and, like, really actually very domestic and kind and lovely,” Wilde shared. She explained that they were able to create a private space away from public opinions. “I think that we existed in this little bubble and the judgment never really got into that bubble,” she said.

Wilde also remembered attending Styles’ Love on Tour concerts and how some fans reacted to seeing her enjoying herself in the crowd. She connected those moments to wider expectations placed on women, especially mothers.

“In this country, motherhood means, ‘No more sexual being for you, young lady. That part of you is over now,’” Wilde said. She argued that women are often judged when they continue living their own lives after becoming mothers.

Wilde and Styles eventually ended their relationship in 2022. Since then, Styles has moved on and has been linked to actress Zoë Kravitz, with reports suggesting the two are engaged. Wilde’s comments on the podcast offered one of her most detailed reflections yet on the relationship and the public reaction that surrounded it.

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