Olivia Wilde Responds To Claims That Harry Styles Was Paid 4 Times More Than Florence Pugh For ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
She's 'upset' by the report.
Quinn Jeffrey / Debby Wong / Cubankite / Shutterstock Olivia Wilde is shutting down rumors about Florence Pugh and Harry Styles' salaries for her sophomore directorial project, "Don't Worry Darling."
The movie, in which Wilde both stars and directs features Pugh as its lead and Styles in a supporting role. It is due to premiere on September 23, 2022.
Amid many rumors about behind-the-scenes drama, an allegation about the pay disparity between the film's male and female stars seems to have particularly irked Wilde.
A report claimed that Harry Styles was paid almost four times more than Florence Pugh.
Showbiz Galore claimed, seemingly without evidence, that Pugh was paid $700,00, while Styles' salary was allegedly $2.5 million.
“There has been a lot out there that I largely don’t pay attention to,” Wilde told Variety in response to the report. “But the absurdity of invented clickbait and subsequent reaction regarding a nonexistent pay disparity between our lead and supporting actors really upset me."
"I’m a woman who has been in this business for over 20 years, and it’s something that I have fought for myself and others, especially being a director. There is absolutely no validity to those claims.”
When by Variety asked to comment, Warner Bros. declined but it would be illegal for studios to disclose salaries.
Wilde's comments echoed a similar outrage shared by fans of the actors who defended Pugh's right to a fair salary — a stance Wilde clearly shares.
Pugh has been acting since 2014 and has garnered a significant amount of roles under her belt since then, including "Little Women," a movie that earned her an Academy Award nomination. Styles, on the other hand, is not of the same caliber.
Olivia Wilde has been vocal about the gender pay gap in Hollywood.
In 2015, Wilde expressed that it is "shockingly difficult" to get financing for female-led production
Given that Wilde, as a female director, is entering a space where women so often struggle to get fair compensation, it hardly seemed likely that she would carry on this disparity by giving Pugh anything less than a high salary.
However, others have noted that Styles has drawn a lot of eyes to the project and that publicity alone could be worth millions.
DeuxMoi, a pseudonymous Instagram that shares claims from sources about celebrity gossip have been unpacking the rumored pay gap in attempt to find out if there is truth to the claims.
A source claimed that both of the stars received multiple payments for the project.
Source: Instagram
When DeuxMoi asked if Pugh's total was more than Styles', the source said, "Significantly so."
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Kurtis Condra covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics for YourTango. He is also a poet based in San Francisco, California. You can keep up with his poetic journey on Instagram.