‘The Invite’ Star Olivia Wilde Finally Opens Up About How the Harry Styles Fallout Really Affected Her
Olivia Wilde has spent years navigating one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized relationships in the public eye, largely staying quiet about the intense media frenzy that surrounded her romance with Harry Styles. That silence has made her recent willingness to reflect on the experience feel like a genuinely rare moment of candor.
The relationship first began in 2020, when Styles joined the cast of Wilde’s psychological thriller ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ after Shia LaBeouf’s exit from the project. What started as a professional collaboration quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity pairings of the era, eventually dominating headlines well beyond the film itself.
Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast this week, Wilde finally addressed just how much that scrutiny actually cost her, both personally and professionally. When host Louis Theroux pointed out that the film’s release had been derailed by what he called multidimensional scandals tied to the widely publicized relationship, Wilde agreed that the fallout hurt her deeply.
She explained that the media frenzy prevented meaningful conversations about what the film was actually trying to say, calling it a shame given how hard the cast and crew had worked to make the movie during the depths of COVID. Wilde noted that ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ was made for just $30 million, crediting cinematographer Matty Libatique and production designer Katie Byron for making the film look far more expensive than its actual budget.
Beyond the impact on the film itself, Wilde admitted the experience took a genuine personal toll as well, saying the situation hurt her for sure. She described how naive she had been up until that point about just how brutal internet backlash could become once she and Styles became public.
The relationship dominated tabloid coverage from the moment Wilde and Styles confirmed they were dating in January 2021, when they attended a wedding together. Sources previously told People that the couple drifted apart in November 2022 after spending nearly two years together, closing out one of the most heavily covered romances in recent Hollywood memory.
Do you think the Harry Styles media frenzy unfairly overshadowed Don't Worry Darling?
Wilde has addressed the fallout in bits and pieces over the years since the split, previously acknowledging on Call Her Daddy that the backlash genuinely upset people and that she still does not fully understand the intensity of the reaction. She pointed to the parasocial relationship many fans have with Styles as part of what made the criticism feel so heavy, describing it as a burden she does not envy him having to carry.
That perspective marks a shift from earlier in the relationship, when both Wilde and Styles publicly addressed the cruelty they faced together. Back in 2022, Styles told Rolling Stone that watching people close to him become targets of criticism did not sit well with him, while Wilde defended his fanbase at the time as largely loving rather than hostile.
With years now separating her from the height of that media storm, Wilde’s latest comments suggest she has gained real perspective on just how much the relationship’s public nature shaped both her career and her personal life during that period. Her openness on the podcast marks one of the most direct acknowledgments yet of how deeply that chapter affected her.
What do you think about Olivia Wilde finally speaking candidly about how the Harry Styles fallout impacted her career? Let us know in the comments.
