Chris Pine's rep says Harry Styles 'did NOT' spit on him at Don't Worry Darling premiere
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The real-life drama swirling around the cast of Don't Worry Darling might be juicier than the movie itself, but according to one of its leads, the stars have not yet resorted to spitting on each other in public.
At least that's what a representative for Chris Pine told EW when asked about a now-viral video clip from the movie's Venice Film Festival premiere, which purportedly shows his costar Harry Styles spitting on Pine while returning to his seat.
"This is a ridiculous story," the rep said in a statement. "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."
The rep added, "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."
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Chris Pine and Harry Styles at the Venice Film Festival
Representatives for Styles didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment Tuesday.
The clip spread like wildfire over the long weekend, with internet sleuths conducting slow-motion investigations worthy of Oliver Stone's JFK. While no spittle can be seen coming out of Styles' mouth, both men's body language at the moment, combined with Styles' pursed lips, led many to believe the pop star intentionally spat at Pine.
#HarryStyles appears to spit on Chris Pine i won't sleep until i know the truth pic.twitter.com/wLXjIHTYgU
— JZMaclin (@Mac70J) September 6, 2022
Still, Spitgate is just one of many alleged sources of tension among the cast. Director and star Olivia Wilde recently had an awkward exchange with Shia LaBeouf about the reason for his departure from the production (he was initially cast to play Styles' character), and rumors of a riff between Wilde and leading lady Florence Pugh have dominated headlines ahead of the premiere. Prior to Spitgate, Pugh had skipped out on the film's press conference Monday, citing her extensive shooting schedule for Dune 2.
Wilde brushed the rumors off as "tabloid gossip" when asked about Pugh's absence.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images 'Don't Worry Darling' cast at the Venice Film Festival
"Florence is a force, and we are so grateful that she's able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune," Wilde told reporters. "I know, as a director, how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day, so I'm very grateful to her, to Denis Villeneuve for helping us. And we're really thrilled we'll get to celebrate her work tonight. I can't say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead. She's amazing in the film."
She added, "As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don't feel the need to contribute. It's sufficiently well nourished."
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