Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for September 6
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Chris Pine denied "Don't Worry Darling" star Harry Styles spit on him before the screening of their latest movie in Italy on Monday night as online speculation mounted that there was a tense moment between the actors in visually deceptive videos posted across social media.
It appeared as though Styles casually hissed at Pine as he sat down in his seat while the crowded room applauded his entrance at the Venice Film Festival, which seemed even more evident due to Pine's slow-clap reaction and gaze into his lap. Pine then appeared to shake his head as though there was an issue, but clarified that any idea of a mishap was just that.
"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," Pine's representative told Fox News Digital. "Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine."
Chris Pine (left) denied Harry Styles (right) spit on him during the "Don't Worry Darling" premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Monday night. (Getty Images)
They 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."
What many believed to be Styles spitting at Pine as he took his seat inside the theater was just an illusion, despite the tense situations surrounding the film almost since its inception more than two years ago.
OLIVIA WILDE ‘HAD TO CUT’ SEXY SCENES FROM ‘DON’T WORRY DARLING' TRAILER: 'PEOPLE GET UPSET
Florence Pugh, who stars as Alice Chambers in DWD, completely stepped away from promotional responsibilities in Italy before the premiere, and was spotted enjoying her own photo shoot while wearing a gorgeous purple number before transforming into a sparkling siren in a Maison Valentino ensemble for the festival.
Just before the red carpet, Wilde dodged questions about LaBeouf and any speculation surrounding Pugh's absence from press obligations.
"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 Monday. "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."
Florence Pugh dazzled wearing a sweeping Maison Valentino gown at the "Don't Worry Darling" red carpet premiere on Monday at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. (Stefania D'Alessandro)
Florence Pugh and Harry Styles pictured in "Don't Worry Darling" (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
It's unclear why Pugh opted not to discuss her role in the film prior to the screening, but Wilde recently discussed a major controversy in having to fire Shia LaBeouf, who was initially cast as Jack. Styles was then cast in the role, and months later, went public with his new relationship with Wilde while at his agent's wedding in January 2021.
Wilde reportedly ended her engagement to Jason Sudeikis in November 2020, and the couple has two children together. They're currently locked in a custody battle after he publicly served her papers while she was presenting on stage at an event in Las Vegas earlier this year.
"His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions," she told Variety of LaBeouf. "He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.
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"I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job."
LaBeouf reportedly had scheduling conflicts, but a December 2020 lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, reported physical, mental and emotional abuse. The suit is ongoing and set for an April 2023 trial.
"A lot came to light after this happened that really troubled me, in terms of his behavior… Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported," Wilde said.
The cast of "Don't Worry Darling" walked the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. From left to right: Nick Kroll, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Sydney Chandler, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan. (Stefania D'Alessandro/WireImage)
LaBeouf recently addressed claims he was fired from "Don't Worry Darling" in an open-letter to director Wilde, and admitted he was now 627 days sober. FKA Twigs' lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2020, three days after he began his sobriety journey.
"I have a little girl, Isabel; she is five months old and just beginning to develop the last half of her laugh; it’s AMAZING. Mia, my wife & I have found each other again & are journeying toward a healthy family with love and mutual respect," he wrote.
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"My failings with Twigs are fundamental and real, but they are not the narrative that has been presented. There is a time and a place to deal with such things, and I am trying to navigate a nuanced situation with respect for her and the truth, hence my silence. But this situation with your film and my ‘firing’ will never have a court date with which to deal with the facts. If lies are repeated enough in the public they become truth. And so, it makes it that much harder for me to crawl out of the hole I have dug with my behaviors, to be able to provide for my family."
He added: "Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth. So I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can. I hope none of this negatively effects you, and that your film is successful in all the ways you want it to be."
LaBeouf, for his part, is in Venice for the premiere of his latest movie, "Padre Pio," and also recently signed on to star in a new Francis Ford Coppola movie with Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight and Laurence Fishburne, titled "Megalopolis."
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