Seeing all this Don’t Worry Darling drama go down as distant spectators is fascinating, isn’t it? One might even say it’s entertaining as hell. But what we’re forgetting is that behind the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood and the media spectacle are real people working in a real toxic work environment. And honestly, it’s gotta fucking suck for everyone involved, but especially Florence Pugh.
Let’s review, shall we?
So first Florence gets cast in an exciting new movie called Don’t Worry Darling as one of the leads. As she bloody well should! She’s a super talented and accomplished actress and any production would be lucky to have her.
Then she finds out abusive asshole Shia LeBouf is playing her husband. She not only has to work with the bloke, but she also has to film intimate scenes with him.
The duo have issues on-set and Shia ultimately walks away, with director Olivia Wilde assuring Florence and the public that she fired him to protect the cast. When in fact she actually begged him to continue filming and even threw Florence under the bus in a video that would later go viral.
here is the video of olivia telling shia she wants to work it out and that if “miss flo” could “commit” more than it could happen.
please ignore that hashtag on the video I didn’t put it there. pic.twitter.com/vAQPBqPRYE
— sophia (@hellopugh) August 26, 2022
Shia gets replaced with Harry Styles and the entire narrative of the film is focused on the director’s tryst with the lead star. All anyone knows of Don’t Worry Darling is the supposed torrid love affair that’s happening on-set.
Not only that, but there’s even rumours that Harry got paid three times what Florence got paid, despite the fact that she’s a much more accomplished actor.
Throughout filming, Wilde and Styles would apparently disappear from set and delay production to do God knows what.
Then promotion begins and, again, the entire focus is on Harry and Olivia’s romance and the sexual content of the film.
Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde twin in Gucci at Jeff Azoff’s wedding https://t.co/TWvibon6J7 pic.twitter.com/VRjaZRKwxP
— Page Six (@PageSix) January 4, 2021
The promo quickly becomes a shitstorm as word gets out of tension on set between Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde and the aforementioned video goes live with the actress condescendingly referred to her as “Miss Flo.”
It’s clear that Florence had an absolutely heinous time on the set of Don’t Worry Darling and now she just wants to move on with her life but she’s contractually obligated to promote the film.
Her response to this godawful predicament has been wise, graceful and 1000 per cent admirable.
Having to face Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles after everything that’s happened and promote a film that was far from a joy to make must’ve been extremely uncomfortable.
But she showed up for the shit she absolutely had to attend like the Venice Film Festival red carpet and premiere of the film and removed herself from anything negative like the press conference.
Although most would’ve been tempted to cause a scene and call out the BS that she had put up with, she instead walked the red carpet with grace and dignity.
Yet she was still honest about the less than pleasant experience, telling a reporter on the red carpet: “I think it’s very inspiring when a woman says ‘no’, when she fights back. On and off camera.”
What’s happening here seems so detached from our reality since it’s happening to celebrities but it hit close to home for me and it would for anyone who’s had to encounter a toxic working environment.
And Florence Pugh’s actions in the face of abject toxicity has been a masterclass in how to rise above the negativity, do the job you signed up to do then get the fuck out of there.
I’ll leave you now with this TikTok of Florence seemingly sipping an Aperol spritz and living her best life while her co-stars are stuck doing the most awkward press conference in history.
@odetofreedom101 looking absolutely stunning as well #dwd #dontworrydarling #harrystyles #florencepugh #oliviawilde #gemmachan #chrispine #venicefilmfestival
