On Monday, September 5, a brief but enigmatic interaction between the pair at the Venice Film Festival went viral on social media. Styles and Pine were at a screening of Don’t Worry Darling in Venice with co-stars including star Florence Pugh and director Olivia Wilde when the moment was caught on video. In the clip, posted by Twitter user JZMaclin, it was claimed that Styles “appears to spit” on Pine while taking his seat next to the actor, who then looks down into his lap and stops clapping. As of Tuesday, September 6, the clip had received over 5.5 million views, with many fans claiming that Styles “definitely did” his co-star. Other viewers dismissed the ‘spitting’ claim and said it was more likely the pair were joking. Pine’s rep has now issued a statement to People, commenting: “This is a ridiculous story – a complete fabrication and the result of a bizarre internet illusion that clearly deceives and allows for foolish speculation.” They added: “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 doesn’t exist.” A source close to Styles also told The Independent that the alleged incident was “not true”. Speculation surrounding the clip was likely fueled by the controversies that have swamped the press for Don’t Worry Darling, including a dispute over the nature of actor Shia LaBeouf who left the project and was later replaced by Styles. Ahead of the film’s release, Wilde claimed she fired LaBeouf, who was originally cast opposite Pugh, in 2020 in order to create a “safe environment of trust” on set, saying his acting process “wasn’t conducive to the ethos” that she demands in her productions. However, LaBeouf, who is currently awaiting trial after being sued for “relentless abuse” by his former partner, British musician FKA twigs, denied he was fired. He sent Variety a video he claimed to have received from Wilde, which shows him asking him not to abandon the project. Shortly after the Venice Film Festival press conference for Don’t Worry Darling, Alex Ritman confirmed that he “just tried to ask Olivia Wilde a question about Shia LaBeouf” at the conference, but “the festival wouldn’t let me.” Festival organizers apparently suggested that Ritman’s question had already been “answered” as part of Wilde’s comments about the alleged feud with Pugh, who skipped the press conference. 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. The 26-year-old Midsommar actress walked the red carpet for the film’s premiere, as she was rumored to be doing. You can read The Independent’s review of Don’t Worry Darling here. This story was updated Tuesday, Sept. 6, to include a response from Pine’s rep and a source close to Styles.
