Director Oliva Wilde created a real-life drama for herself after her accusations that she fired Shia LaBeouf from Don’t Worry Darling were called out for being false.
The actress-turned-director revealed in a Variety cover story that LaBeouf, who had previously been slated to play the character of Jack in Don’t Worry Darling — a role which she later recasted with Harry Styles — was fired from the project in 2020. Wilde asserted that the reason for this was due to LaBeouf’s “combative energy” and acting process that was “not conducive to the ethos that I demanded of my productions.”
“I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work,” she began. “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. 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. 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.”
At face value, Wilde’s criticism of LaBeouf felt very in line with the actor’s less-than-savory history. Right around the time he was “fired” from Don’t Worry Darling, he was also caught up in a serious domestic abuse scandal with Grammy-nominated singer, FKA Twigs, one that resulted in him being sued by her.
However, shortly after the media caught wind of Wilde’s cover story, LeBeouf disputed Wilde’s claims that she fired him. According to him, he quit. And he brought the evidence to prove it.
Shia LaBeouf denied Olivia Wilde’s claim that she fired him from Don’t Worry Darling
“If lies are repeated enough in the public they become the truth.”
Such were LaBeouf’s words in a lengthy email sent to Wilde following the release of her cover story. In the email, that was obtained by Variety, LaBeouf maintained that he was not fired, as she implied, but instead quit because he wasn’t given enough time to rehearse with the other actors.
To leave nothing to question, he included screenshots of their text exchanges. Following an in-person conversation between Wilde and LaBeouf, Wilde texted him, “Thanks for letting me in on your thought process. I know that isn’t fun. Doesn’t feel good to say no to someone, and I respect your honesty. I’m honored you were willing to go there with me, for me to tell a story with you. I’m gutted because it could have been something special. I want to make clear how much it means to me that you trust me. That’s a gift I’ll take with me.”
In the video shared by LaBeouf (shown above), Wilde can even be seen begging LaBeouf to give the project another shot. Even more than that, she appeared to throw Florence Pugh under the bus.
Florence Pugh fans were not happy with Olivia Wilde’s condescending nickname for her
In her Variety cover story, Wilde claimed one of the reasons LaBeouf was let go from Don’t Worry Darling was so she could create a safe environment for Pugh. For that reason, fans were angered to hear the patronizing tone in which Wilde called Pugh “Miss Flo” and said LaBeouf’s leaving “might be a bit of a wake up call” for her.
Not only does the video contradict Wilde’s initial claims that she fired LaBeouf, but it also contradicts her previous argument that his firing was with Pugh’s best interest at heart, something she attested to in her cover story.
Furthermore, should the video be seen by Pugh – which it undoubtedly will – hearing Wilde say things could be resolved if only Pugh were to “commit” and put her “mind and heart into it”, surely that has to sting.
Obviously, there was some clear mincing of words between Wilde and LaBeouf, much of which appeared to have gotten lost in translation, and unfortunately for Pugh, she was caught in the crossfire.
Below is the full email LaBeouf’s sent to Wilde following her now-controversial cover story.
Olivia,
I hope this finds you inspired, purposeful, fulfilled & well. I pray every night that you & your family have health, happiness, & everything God would give me. No joke, every night before I sleep.
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.
I have embarked on a journey that feels redemptive & righteous (dirty word but fitting). I write to you now with 627 days of sobriety and a moral compass that never existed before my great humbling that was the last year and a quarter of my life. I reached out to you a few months ago to make amends; & I still pray one day, you can find space in your heart to forgive me for the failed collaboration we shared.
What inspired this email today is your latest Variety story. I am greatly honored by your words on my work; thank you, that felt good to read. I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired, however. You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn’t find time to rehearse. I have included as a reminder the screenshots of our text exchange on that day, and my text to Tobey.
I know that you are beginning your press run for DWD and that the news of my firing is attractive clickbait, as I am still persona-non-grata and may remain as such for the rest of my life. But, speaking of my daughter, I often think about the news articles she will read when she is literate. And though I owe, and will owe for the rest of my life, I only owe for my actions.
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.
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.
Every Blessing To You,
Shia
Unfortunately, we, as humble news outlets, aren’t ever truly involved enough to know the ins and outs of such a scandal; the only three people who know the truth are Shia, Olivia and — by extension — Florence.