Fans claim Harry Styles spit on 'Don't Worry Darling' co-star Chris Pine

The ongoing drama surrounding Olivia Wilde’s upcoming psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling has left fans worrying that everyone involved in the movie is ready to strangle one another.

Those fears reached a crescendo Monday night at the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival when Wilde’s leading man (and real-life boyfriend) Harry Styles appeared to spit in Chris Pine’s lap as he took his seat.

In the viral footage making the rounds on social media, Styles, 28, was captured making his way to an empty seat next to Pine. After the former One Direction singer seemingly spat at the 42-year-old Star Trek actor, Pine stopped clapping and gazed down at his lap before breaking out in a smirk and laughing to himself. Neither Styles nor Pine make any eye contact during the interaction.

Internet sleuths were quick to deduce that Styles’ alleged action is evidence of lingering tension between the actors.

“Literally the whole cast is beefing what is going on???” one person questioned, with another remarking, “Look at Chris’s face he definitely spit on him.”

Several other Twitter detectives zeroed in on Pine’s reaction to the alleged loogie.

“That look Chris gave him read as ‘I can’t believe this kid just did that’ to me,” one person wrote, while another added, The level of self control Chris Pine has is INSANE but he also probably kept in mind that they were filmed.”

A frame-by-frame breakdown was proof, one user wrote, that Styles “definitely spit something.”

“You can even tell by Chris’s reaction.”

I mean…dude clearly spit on him,” columnist Wajahat Ali concluded. “Chris Pine gets all the awards for trying his best to play it off and not slap this man. I need a 6-part documentary about the making of this movie, please.”

But Pine’s rep called the viral story “ridiculous” in a statement to PEOPLE.

“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.”

And while the majority of the Twitterverse were ready to convict Styles of spitting on Pine, not everyone was convinced.

“I don’t see any spitting literally this video doesn’t show anything except the massive tension between them,” one private eye tweeted.

A slowed down video was proof to one follower that the singer was “INNOCENT” as it showed nothing exiting Styles’ mouth.

Chris Pine just wondered where his sunglasses were after the applause,” another person explained. “And he zoned out (like he’s been doing all day) and realized it’s in his lap. So I am sorry to say Harry Styles did not spit on him.”

Prior to “spit-gate,” drama seekers had already started to plant seeds of dissension between Pine and Styles when they posted videos of the Wonder Woman star zoning out while the Late Night Talking hitmaker answered questions during an interview earlier in the day.

“You know my favourite thing about the movie? It feels like a movie,” Styles starts to say as Pine’s eyes seem to glaze over. “It feels like a real go-to-the-theatre movie.”

A self-proclaimed Pine scholar assessed Pine’s reaction to Styles’ rambling answer, writing, “I’ve been a diehard Chris Pine fan for nearly 20 years now so I consider myself something of an expert, and I can confidently say he is reconsidering all his life choices here… literally dissociating from his surroundings.”

The simmering feud follows earlier reports that Wilde has fallen out with Don’t Worry Darling’s leading lady Florence Pugh.

Pugh did virtually no interviews to support Wilde’s sophomore directorial effort and skipped the traditional press conference ahead of the screening Monday night and was captured quickly exiting the theatre when the credits rolled.

Her lack of promotional push for the film was blamed on her production schedule for Dune 2, which she is currently filming in Budapest.

“Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production in Dune. I cannot say enough how honoured I am to have her as my lead,” Wilde said, trying to quell talk of a rift.

“As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there. The Internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute. I feel it is sufficiently well nourished.”

Florence Pugh poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ during the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/torontosun/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/CP-Florence-Pugh-scaled.jpg?quality="90&strip=all&w=576 2x" height="1707" loading="lazy" src="https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/torontosun/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/CP-Florence-Pugh-scaled.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288" width="2560"/>
Florence Pugh poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ during the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022.Photo by Vianney Le Caer /AP

Elsewhere during a press conference for the film, a moderator refused to allow journalists to ask questions about Shia LaBeouf, who was originally cast in the part that is played by Styles.

Wilde sparked rumours she fired him, telling Variety last month that she sacked the disgraced actor to “protect” the rest of the cast. LaBoeuf refuted her version of events telling the trade that he “quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time.”

In Don’t Worry Darling, which opens Sept. 23, Pugh and Styles play a seemingly happy couple whose picture perfect 1950s neighbourhood starts to fracture when one of the housewives goes missing.

The buzzy role is one of two Styles will be seen in this fall. The pop star also appears in My Policeman, which is set to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this Sunday.

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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