Olivia Wilde is finally looking back on one of the most scrutinized celebrity relationships of the past decade. Years after her romance with Harry Styles dominated headlines, the filmmaker is sharing her perspective on the whirlwind that surrounded their time together.
The relationship unfolded amid movie-set drama, endless internet speculation, and intense fan reactions that seemed to take on a life of their own. While the public narrative often felt chaotic, Wilde now says the reality was much different behind closed doors.
Olivia Wilde opens up about her previous romance with Harry Styles on the Call Her Daddy podcast
During an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, host Alex Cooper asked Wilde why so many people appeared upset by her relationship with Styles, whom she met while directing him in “Don’t Worry Darling.”
“Oh, man. I don’t know, it really did upset people, though,” Wilde admitted. “It was crazy. I don’t know how much I understand it yet.” She went on to suggest that the backlash reflected broader attitudes toward women, adding, “It’s something that we’ve done to women for a long time.”
Wilde also acknowledged that part of the reaction stemmed from Styles’ uniquely devoted fanbase. “It also had a lot to do with the personal relationship people had with him,” she said. “He carries it with grace. I think that’s an enormous responsibility that all of those stars have to carry.”
The actress and director described their nearly two-year romance in much warmer terms than the public discourse surrounding it. “We had the loveliest relationship, so so sweet and so beautiful and really, actually domestic and kind and lovely,” Wilde told Cooper. According to Wilde, the pair managed to create a private bubble despite the constant headlines.
Reflecting on the “Don’t Worry Darling” era more broadly, Wilde called the experience “f–king bananas” and admitted she often felt disconnected from the person being portrayed in tabloids and online conversations. “There was all this public madness, but my private life was very far from it,” she said.
The relationship began in 2021 after Wilde and Styles connected while working on “Don’t Worry Darling.” Their romance attracted attention due to their 10-year age difference and because it began shortly after Wilde’s split from longtime partner Jason Sudeikis.
Although the couple parted ways in late 2022, Wilde now appears comfortable looking back on the relationship with gratitude rather than regret. As she told Cooper, their happiness sometimes seemed to frustrate critics more than anything else.
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED TO HEAR OLIVIA WILDE SPEAK SO POSITIVELY ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HARRY STYLES?
