A representative for actor Chris Pine has strongly blasted the talk around a viral moment during the premiere of Olivia Wilde’s new film “Don’t Worry Darling” at the Venice International Film Festival last night.
The film has been engulfed in weeks of media chatter leading up to Monday’s press conference for the film where one question was dismissed and another shut down by the moderator.
The premiere itself took place shortly after with lead star Florence Pugh appearing on the red carpet after being notably absent from the press conference with the reason being due to her “Dune: Part Two” filming commitments.
However, talk about the film itself has been overshadowed by video of the film’s co-star Harry Styles taking a seat at the screening in the Sala Grande. It has been speculated that he appears to spit at his co-star Chris Pine.
Now, in a statement to People.com, the rep for Pine has issued a firm response:
“This is a ridiculous story – 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. 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.”
Video from another angle of the incident appears to confirm the rep’s claim. The film generated a solid seven-minute standing ovation from the crowd, though reviews from film critics afterwards have been somewhat mixed.
In the film Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families.
The 1950s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine) – equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach – anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the facade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to reveal what’s really going on in this paradise?
Wilde, KeKe Layne, Nick Kroll, Sydney Chandler, Kate Berlant, Asif Ali, Douglas Smith, Timothy Simons and Ari’el Stachel also star.
“Don’t Worry Darling” opens in theaters September 23rd.
