Olivia Wilde has opened up about her relationship with Harry Styles.
Wilde and Styles began dating after he was cast in Don’t Worry Darling in 2020, which she directed and played a supporting role in. They later broke up in late 2022, a few months after the film’s release.
Now, she’s opened up about the backlash she faced throughout their relationship. “I’ve never felt more disconnected from the person that people were talking about,” she said in a new interview on Call Her Daddy. “I was like, ‘Who are they talking about? Who is that girl?’”
Wilde went on to address the parts of her relationship with Styles that came under scrutiny, including their age gap (Wilde is 10 years older than Styles) and the misconception that she was spending time away from her children to be with him, when her custody arrangement with her ex, Jason Sudeikis, prohibited her from seeing them half of the time. “It was also very strange to see complete fiction traded as fact,” she said. “My private life was very far from it and very actually wholesome and sweet.”
“I don’t know how much I understand it yet,” she continued. “People were fucking pissed. It also had a lot to do with the parasocial relationship people have with [Styles]. He carries it with grace. I think that is an enormous responsibility that all those stars have to carry.”
“It’s almost like [our] happiness made them mad,” she added. “Like, I would go to his shows and dance, and people were like, ‘Oh, how could she?’”
However, Wilde still has positive things to say about Styles, who is now reportedly engaged to Zoe Kravitz. “We had the loveliest relationship — so, so sweet and so beautiful and really actually very domestic and kind and lovely,” she said. “We existed in this little bubble, and the judgment never really got into that bubble, which was a miracle.”
In other Wilde news,, she’s set to star alongside Charli XCX in the upcoming film I Want Your Sex, which will hit theatres in July. Directed by Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin, Kaboom), the film’s synopsis reads: “How far is too far? When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse,” it reads.
“But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder. Featuring outrageous characters and a playful sense of humor, I Want Your Sex will upend expectations in a way that will both shock and delight!”
As for Styles, he kicked off his record-breaking stint at Wembley last week (June 12), paying tribute to the late artist David Hockney and looking back on his connection to the area and its links to his days in One Direction. “Sixteen years ago, my mother signed me up for the X Factor without my knowledge,” he told the crowd towards the end of the night. “I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t done that. She’s here today – thank you so much. You’ve changed my life, all of you.”
The Together, Together tour continues at Wembley Stadium tonight (19), with further dates on June 20, 23, 26, 27, 29 and July 1, 3 and 4. Visit here for any remaining UK tickets and check out doors and stage times here. Styles will donate £1 from every ticket sold to LIVE’s levy to help protect UK grassroots music venues and support emerging talent.
Elsewhere, earlier this week, Styles performed with Jules Buckley Orchestra and the House Gospel Choir at London’s Royal Festival Hall as part of this year’s Meltdown Festival, which he curated.
Meltdown Festival will run until June 21 and will feature performances from Orlando Weeks, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Soulwax, Bar Italia, Jon Hopkins, Dev Hynes, and more. The run began last week (June 11) with a performance from Los Angeles’ Warpaint – the band’s first gig in nearly two years.