The director answered a reporter’s question during the Don’t Worry Darling press conference at the Venice International Film Festival. Wilde was in attendance along with stars Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine. Its star, Pugh, however, was absent. The news that Pugh would not be attending the panel came amid reports of a feud between her and Wilde that has been ongoing since the beginning of the year. “Can you just clear the air and answer if there was a drop out there and if so why, because it’s something that people are talking about?” a reporter asked Wilde during the conference. The director replied: “Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune. I know as a director how frustrating it is to lose an actor even for a day, so I’m very grateful to her and Denis Villeneuve for helping us – we’re really excited to celebrate her work tonight.” He continued: “I can’t say enough how honored I am to have her as our leader. She’s amazing in the movie and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute, I think he’s feeding himself pretty well.” Variety confirmed that Pugh’s absence from the panel was due to the actor’s flight arriving in Venice after the scheduled press conference. She will walk the red carpet for the event later on Monday (September 5). Harry Styles and Florence Pugh on “Don’t Worry Darling” (Warner County) Reports of a feud between the director and actor intensified in August after Wilde claimed she fired LaBeouf in 2020 to create a “safe and trusting environment” on set for Pugh. However, LaBeouf denied being fired and sent Variety a video he says he received from Wilde, which shows the director asking him not to abandon the project. Referring to the tension between LaBeouf and Pugh in the video, Wilde says LaBeouf’s departure “may be a wake-up call for Miss Flo.” Wild said the controversy was nothing more than “invented click-bait”, while Pugh did not comment or deny the rumours. Last week, Wilde praised the “wildly talented” actor in a new interview. You can read a full timeline of all the behind-the-scenes drama from Don’t Worry Darling here. Florence Pugh in “Don’t Worry My Love” (Warner County) Early reviews of Don’t Worry Darling have seen critics unenthusiastic about the film, with Pugh’s performance nevertheless singled out for praise. In a three-star review for The Independent, Geoffrey Macnab writes: “This is not the disaster some predicted – but it is a messy, complex affair with some very contrived plotting. Styles gives a surprisingly dull and understated performance as Jack. To be fair, he plays a very boring character, a sort of Stepford husband.’ Other critics have also criticized Styles’ performance. On the red carpet at the film’s Venice premiere, Pugh made a cryptic remark that it was “inspiring” to see women “push back and say no, on and off camera.” Don’t Worry Darling opens in theaters on Friday, September 23.
