Sophia Michaels
Chris Pine has finally put to rest the drama surrounding the alleged spitting incident between him and Harry Styles at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. In an interview with Esquire for their March 2023 issue, the 42-year-old actor was asked point-blank if Styles really spat on him. “Harry did not spit on me. Harry’s a very, very kind guy,” Pine replied. He also admitted that he was unaware of all the speculation until his publicist showed him the video on a plane. “It does look indeed like Harry’s spitting on me. He didn’t spit on me,” Pine explained. “I think what he said is he leaned down and I think he said, ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’ Cause we had this little joke because we’re all jet-lagged, we’re all trying to answer these questions, and sometimes when you’re doing these press things, your brain goes befuddled and you start speaking gibberish.”
A rep for Pine had previously confirmed that nothing untoward had occurred between Pine and Styles. In a statement to People addressing the incident, the rep said, “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. Just 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 does not exist.”
Styles himself made light of the rumors during his Sept. 7, 2022 show of his Love On Tour in New York City. “This is our 10th show at Madison Square Garden. It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine,” he said jokingly. “But fret not, we’re back!” Nick Kroll added to the joke fest during his Sept. 26, 2022 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he jokingly said he was the real “mastermind” behind the incident.
Beyond the spitting incident, the movie’s cast was also embroiled in controversy with rumors about everything from an alleged pay disparity to behind-the-scenes drama over the casting of Styles’s character, Jack. Director Olivia Wilde addressed these issues during her appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and denied any wrongdoing.
Chris Pine has now put an end to the drama surrounding Harry Styles and their alleged spitting incident at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. The actor confirmed that Styles did not spit on him and that they were having a joke due to jet lag. A rep for Pine also confirmed that there was no drama between them and Styles himself joked about the incident during his tour in New York City. Director Olivia Wilde also addressed the controversy surrounding her film and denied any wrongdoing.
