Olivia Wilde Opens Up About Harry Styles Relationship
Actress and director Olivia Wilde has publicly addressed her past romance with pop superstar Harry Styles, acknowledging the significant public reaction it generated. Speaking on the popular podcast Call Her Daddy, Wilde shared her perspective on the relationship and the widespread scrutiny.
‘People Were F***ing Pissed’
Wilde, 42, stated, “It really did upset people! People were f***ing pissed!” She described their relationship as “loveliest,” “so sweet and so beautiful,” and noted that they existed in a “little bubble” where external judgment struggled to penetrate, calling it a “miracle.”
The couple’s romance spanned nearly two years, from late 2020 to November 2022. They initially connected on the set of the film Don’t Worry Darling, which Wilde directed and Styles starred in alongside Florence Pugh. Their public debut as a couple occurred in January 2021.
Navigating Fiction and Fact
Wilde recalled the experience of seeing “complete fiction traded as fact” and found it challenging. She explained, “My own attempt to be strong and to rise above it came across as inauthentic because people were like ‘you must be hurting, why are you pretending to not be hurting?'” She added, “I’m a different person than I was three years ago.”
The amicable split between Wilde and Styles was widely attributed to the demands of Styles’ global touring schedule and Wilde’s commitment to her children in Los Angeles. Wilde has two children, Otis Alexander, 12, and Daisy Josephine, 9, with actor Jason Sudeikis.
A New Chapter
Recent analysis of Harry Styles’ new song, “Paint by Numbers,” suggests it may be a breakup anthem referencing Wilde and her children. Lyrics such as “You’re the luckiest, oh, the irony/ Holding the weight of the American children whose hearts you break/ Was it a tragedy when you told her/ ‘I’m not even thirty-three?'” have led many to believe the song touches on the complexities of their past relationship and potential family aspirations.
Styles is reportedly now engaged to actress Zoe Kravitz. Wilde was most recently photographed with Caspar Jopling, ex-husband of Ellie Goulding.
The Challenges of Motherhood and Directing
During the podcast, Wilde also spoke candidly about the immense pressure of being a working mother. “It’s crippling. It’s so hard,” she said. “And the only thing that heals it is talking about it. And sharing, like all things with shame. Once you air it out, then it dissipates. Then it it it shame dies once you once you share.”
She continued, “But it is hard. It’s hard. I think it’s one of the reasons that more women don’t direct films is because the feeling of saying like I have to go I’m going to miss soccer practice. I’m going to miss this adorable Christmas pageant because I’m going to be on set.” Wilde acknowledged the difficulty of balancing career ambitions with parental responsibilities, particularly when compared to her mother’s impactful career as a journalist. “And I’m not even like speaking truth to power as a journalist like my mom [was]. She was like making the world better. I’m just like telling funny stories on film. And sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh man, I it is it’s really hard to to get over that judgment.’ But there’s a lot of other moms going through it.”
Harry Styles, 37, is reportedly engaged to actress Zoe Kravitz.
