Did Harry Styles Spit on Chris Pine? Internet Dissects Viral Moment from Don't Worry Darling Premiere
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From rumors of off-camera feuds to on-set romance to casting decisions, the conversation surrounding Olivia Wilde's upcoming film Don't Worry Darling has taken on a life of its own. And now — spit?
As the cast of the film arrived at the Venice International Film Festival for its premiere Monday, photos and video clips began to flood the internet with both fans and critics dissecting every move.
What began as a "who is standing next to whom" and "who isn't making eye contact with whom" turned into a question of whether the movie's star Harry Styles spat on his costar Chris Pine ahead of the film's screening.
In a clip that began circulating the internet Monday night, Styles, 28, is seen taking his seat next to Pine — who notably is seated to the left of Wilde, 38.
As the "Watermelon Sugar" singer bends down to take his seat, his lips move before Pine, 42, quickly looks down and stops clapping — which some believe is his acknowledging that the singer has just spit. Pine then shakes his head slightly and appears to giggle before reaching down and grabbing his sunglasses that are placed between his legs and continues to look amused.
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Reps for Pine and Styles did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
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Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images rom left: Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan
As the clip circulated, the internet debated just exactly what occurred. One Twitter user posted a GIF made from the clip along with the message, "He 100% spit on Chris Pine."
Another user wrote, "#HarryStyles appears to spit on Chris Pine i won't sleep until i know the truth," while a third tweeted, "Someone needs to begin a full fledged investigation into what happened on that don't worry darling set … wdym harry styles spitting on chris pine on NATIONAL TELEVISION?"
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan
Some internet users did just that and have since jumped to Styles' defense online, giving another explanation to what happened.
"Chris pine just wondered where his sunglasses were after the applause," Twitter user @cinemazietgeist wrote of her interpretation of the footage. "And he zoned out (likes he's been doing all day) and realised it's in his lap. So I am sorry to say harry styles did not spit on him."
The same user later shared a slowed-down clip of the moment, writing, "And this vid shows nothing left his mouth."
RELATED VIDEO: Harry Styles Arrives at the Venice International Film Festival
The viral moment came after the cast, which includes Styles, Wilde, Pine, Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan, Sydney Chandler and Nick Kroll posed together on the red carpet.
Pugh, 26, had earlier sat out of the film's press conference while on a flight from the Dune: Part Two set and Wilde fielded a question about rumors of a "falling out" between herself and Pugh.
The latter responded to the question, "Florence is a force, and we are so grateful that she's able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune."
"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," Wilde continued. "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."
"As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself," she added. "I don't feel the need to contribute. It's sufficiently well nourished."
The panel's moderator then skipped over a question about Shia LaBeouf, following a leaked video that Wilde allegedly sent to LaBeouf, 36, went viral on social media and he claimed he quit the movie and wasn't fired by her.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images From left: Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, Sydney Chandler, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Florence Pugh and Nick Kroll
In the clip, Wilde — who previously claimed she fired LaBeouf from Don't Worry Darling to preserve a non-aggressive atmosphere on set — asked LaBeouf not to depart the movie. Wilde referred to Pugh as "Miss Flo" in the video and alluded to unresolved tension between Pugh and LaBeouf. (Styles ultimately replaced him in the role.)
"I feel like I'm not ready to give up on this yet, and I too am heartbroken and I want to figure this out," Wilde said in the video. "You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I wanna know if you're open to giving this a shot with me, with us."
The filmmaker added, "If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace — and I respect your point of view, I respect hers — but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope? Will you let me know?"
In her Variety cover story last month, however, Wilde praised the "extraordinary" actress and called "tabloid media" a "tool to pit women against one another and to shame them."
Don't Worry Darling hits theaters Sept. 23.
