Ever since September 2020 when Olivia Wilde, director and producer of the film Don’t Worry Darling, posted a photo to her Instagram of musician Harry Styles and actress Florence Pugh starring in the film to be released two years later, the relationship rumors have been swirling around Hollywood and media sites. On Nov. 18, 2022, the most exclusive Twitter accounts and magazines reported that Styles and Wilde have broken up for good, but were they ever together in the first place?
During the start of filming Don’t Worry Darling, Styles and Wilde were seen together on and off set more than other costars. Around this time, they also attended a friend’s wedding together, which created more relationship rumors. Paparazzi were everywhere because of these rumors, so many photos of the duo came out over the span of the next few months, whether it be the two walking together on the street or driving in a car.
The drama really started with the end of Wilde’s previous relationship with actor Jason Sudekis. There were rumors that Wilde cheated on Sudekis with Styles and caused her marriage to end. Although these rumors were proven by Wilde to be false, it left a bad taste in fans’ as well as media outlets’ mouths. This ended when Jason Sudekis served papers to Wilde while at a press conference, and she disclosed the timeline of her two relationships, to clarify one ended before the other started.
We can think of Harry’s 2022 residencies, where Wilde was seen dancing and singing in the VIP section next to Gemma, Harry’s sister, and Anne, his mom. She was there, occasionally with her two children, speaking to fans, taking photos, and complimenting their outfits. Wilde was even there at, what seems like, the biggest show of his entire tour: the Oct. 31st show entitled “Harryween,” where she came dressed as a rabbit, a nod to her character in the film Don’t Worry Darling named Bunny. Being able to see this support and love for Harry from his girlfriend, whether or not it was a relationship for PR or for real, is comforting coming from a Harry fan, as well as just a lover of romance.
Being an avid Harry Styles fan for practically my entire life, and therefore witnessing all of his public relationships, this relationship with Wilde has a lot of details to take into account. I had never been a personal fan of Wilde until her relationship with Harry, and honestly, I’m still not. She directed and starred in a great movie alongside Styles, but apart from that, there is not much that makes her stand out from the crowd. I have been following Styles since I was 10 years old, so I have witnessed his relationships from Taylor Swift to Camille Rowe. In my opinion, Harry has done a great job of keeping his relationships private and for the most part drama free, until this one.
Although it hasn’t been said explicitly whether Harry and Olivia were together at one point in time, there have been indirect comments made by the two actors on the toxicity of assuming relationships, the difference in the amount of love between two people in a secret versus public romance, and the support for one another’s careers. No matter what, Harry and Olivia have made great efforts to keep their relationship secret as well as alive.