Olivia Wilde has described it as a 'miracle' that the intense backlash she faced for dating Harry Styles never damaged their relationship.
Wilde Speaks Out on Call Her Daddy
The American actress and director, 42, who dated the former One Direction star, 32, for nearly two years before their split in late 2022, broke her silence on the scrutiny they faced. Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Wilde told host Alex Cooper: 'Oh man, it really did upset people.'
She continued: 'It was crazy. I don't know how much I understand it yet. I understand it had very little to do with me. People were f****** p***ed.'
Wilde attributed much of the backlash to the intense parasocial relationship fans have with Styles, calling it a 'burden that is very weighty and not something I envy. He carries it with grace.'
A Sweet and Private Relationship
Despite the public outcry, Wilde insisted their relationship was 'the loveliest relationship, so sweet and beautiful, and really very domestic and lovely.' She added: 'I think we existed in this little bubble, and the judgment never got in, which was a miracle, a testament to us making that happen.'
The pair met on the set of Don't Worry Darling in 2020, where Wilde directed and Styles starred opposite Florence Pugh. The film, released in 2022, follows a 1950s housewife who suspects her husband's workplace hides something sinister.
Age Gap and Public Criticism
During their relationship, Wilde addressed the age gap criticism in a Vogue interview, saying: 'It's obviously really tempting to correct a false narrative. But I think what you realise is that when you're really happy, it doesn't matter what strangers think about you.'
Reflecting on that period, Wilde said she consciously stepped away from the spotlight after the film's release: 'I felt like I needed to get quiet and needed to hear myself again and process all the pain and the lessons that I could find with it.'
Co-Parenting with Jason Sudeikis
Wilde also discussed her split from former fiancé Jason Sudeikis, with whom she shares two children. She said their separation made them better parents: 'We are great co-parents. These kids are consistently getting the best of us in a way that when we were together was not possible.'
The actress revealed she underwent 'a ton of therapy' after the split and views it as an opportunity to rebuild her life. She advised others in unhappy relationships: 'You're doing no one any favours' by staying together for the kids.
