It’s been 2 years since Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling premiered at the Venice Film Festival. And while the 2022 mystery thriller garnered enough attention, the only thing that stood out apart from the co-stars’ short-lived romance is the infamous spitgate incident involving Styles and Chris Pine.
According to reports, during the premiere event, Harry Styles was seen making a motion that caused an uproar leading netizens to believe he had spit on his Don’t Worry Darling co-star, Chris Pine. However, months later, the Star Trek actor entered the conversation to clarify the controversy and put an end to speculations.
Harry Styles’ Infamous Spitgate Incident from Don’t Worry Darling Premier
Even after two years since the buzz around Don’t Worry Darling reached its peak, one particular moment from the Venice Film Festival continues to capture the public imagination — Harry Styles’ infamous “spitgate” incident. The 2022 thriller, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Styles and Chris Pine, was already under the spotlight due to its high-profile cast and Wilde’s tumultuous relationship with Styles.
However, it was Harry Styles’ perplexing gesture towards Chris Pine during the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling that sparked a whirlwind of speculation and controversy. Amid the red carpet festivities, as Styles walked up to sit beside Pine, a seemingly minor incident caught the attention of the media. Apparently, the One Direction alum appeared to make a curious gesture as he approached his co-star, which led people to believe that Styles had spit on Pine.
The lack of interaction between Harry Styles and Chris Pine, followed by a quick movement of Styles’ head towards Pine, led netizens to speculate that the singer had spat on the Star Trek actor. Further, the speculation was amplified by the visible discomfort on Pine’s face followed by his hands stopping the clapping gesture. This eventually fueled theories and memes across the internet, giving birth to an alleged feud between the co-stars.
Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde Debunked the Spitgate Incident
However, as the “spitgate” frenzy spiraled out of control, both Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde stepped in to defuse the situation and set the record straight. During a 2023 interview with Esquire, Pine finally addressed the incident in a candid statement. The actor clarified that the incident was nothing more than a misinterpretation of a subtle conversation between him and Harry Styles.
Chris Pine explained that Harry Styles’ gesture was actually the singer leaning down towards him to say something. This is why Pine looked serious and even stopped clapping to hear what Styles had to say, amid the clapping noises and people’s excitement. The Wonder Woman star further noted that Styles is a “very kind guy” and had no malice as to how netizens framed the situation.
Harry did not spit on me. [He is a] very, very kind guy… [Although] it does look, indeed, like Harry’s spitting on me, [he actually leaned to say] ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’
According to Chris Pine, Harry Styles’ comment boiled down to a “little joke” that the Don’t Worry Darling cast had with each other about interacting with the media while promoting the film. Meanwhile, after Pine debunked the speculations, even Olivia Wilde echoed the sentiment weeks later, during her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The actress admitted to being equally amused and exasperated by the media frenzy.
[Harry] did not spit on Chris. [It’s] a perfect example of people will look for drama anywhere they can.
So it seems that although fans are unwilling to let the dust settle on the alleged spitgate incident, which is a peculiar thing that is continuing to fascinate and entertain audiences even after 2 years, Olivia Wilde and Chris Pine have long debunked the speculations.
Don’t Worry Darling is currently available to watch on Netflix.
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