Sophia Michaels
#SpitGate is over. After social media went wild hyper-analyzing a video (and a second, third and fourth angle) that made it seem like Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine during the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling over the weekend, a rep for Pine has finally officially denied the allegations.
“This is a ridiculous story…a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” the rep tells Rolling Stone. “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did NOT spit on Chris Pine……” (We left the rep’s capitalization of “NOT” and extra punctuation for emphasis.)
The rep adds, “There is nothing but respect between these two men, and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
The now-viral video captured the “Watermelon Sugar” singer sitting next to Pine at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. As Styles sat down, his lips seemed to purse, creating the illusion that he was spitting. At that moment, Pine paused his claps and awkwardly looked down at his pants before smiling and slightly shaking his head.
The Styles-Pine spitting speculation came as the Don’t Worry Darling premiere was filled with awkward moments between its star Florence Pugh and director Olivia Wilde. The clearly reluctant encounters followed months of rumors of a feud between the two women and drama related to the original casting (and firing) of Shia LaBeouf.
Pugh walked the festival’s red carpet with the rest of the Don’t Worry Darling team, and while she posed for group shots as well as photos with co-stars Chan, Sydney Chandler, Pine and Nick Kroll, Pugh and Wilde were not photographed alone together (nor did Pugh pose for pictures with Styles).
Wilde and Pugh were also seated apart and didn’t make eye contact during the four-minute standing ovation from the crowd following the film’s conclusion.
Before the screening, Wilde and (some of) her Don’t Worry Darling cast appeared at a pre-premiere press conference, where the director sidestepped questions about the controversies surrounding the upcoming film.
“Florence is a force. We are so grateful she’s able to make it tonight [for the red carpet],” Wilde said. “I’m grateful to her, and to [Dune director Denis Villeneuve] for helping us. I can’t say how honored I am to have her as our lead.”
The director continued, “As for all the endless tabloid gossip out there, the Internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute. I think it’s sufficiently well-nourished.”
Following its Venice premiere, Don’t Worry Darling will open Sept. 23 in theaters nationwide.
“Don’t Worry Darling is so muddled in its aims and means, such a missed opportunity at such a crucial moment, that you can’t help but mourn even when you’re being dazzled,” read a Rolling Stone review of the film. “Put it this way: This isn’t a deathblow for anyone involved. But it may be time for them to start worrying. “
