While its early critical reception has been mostly favorable, and it received a 5-minute standing ovation when it screened at the Venice Film Festival, fans cannot help but feel a little worried about "Don’t Worry Darling." For months, the psychological thriller has been burdened by rumors suggesting that film’s lead actor, Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh, and director, Olivia Wilde, have been in a feud behind the scenes. While we have no means to genuinely confirm this ongoing story as true, we can at least provide some insight as to where these allegations are coming from, beginning with the moment that really started it all.

In April 2020, Florence Pugh expressed excitement on Instagram over being cast in her “idol” Olivia Wilde’s directorial follow-up to Booksmart as a 1950s-era housewife moving into an experimental utopian community alongside Shia LaBeouf as her husband. However, five months later, the former "Transformers" franchise star exited the "Don’t Worry Darling" cast — with scheduling conflicts then suggested as the cause — and was replaced by pop singer and "Dunkirk" star Harry Styles. Nothing was said further about the casting change (until much later), but Variety did report the following December that LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, sued the actor for sexual battery and made allegations of abuse against him.