Olivia Wilde addresses Florence Pugh 'falling out' rumours after she misses Don't Worry Darling panel

Olivia Wilde has addressed the rumours that she fell out with Florence Pugh while filming Don't Worry Darling.

The director was asked about the alleged feud during a press panel for the upcoming movie at the Venice International Film Festival.

Don't Worry Darling has been plagued with off-screen controversies in recent months, from claims about a gender pay gap, which Wilde swiftly shut down, to the issue of whether or not Shia LaBeouf was fired or left of his own accord.

Among the drama was the suggestion that Wilde and Pugh had fallen out after fans noticed a lack of social media posts about the film on Pugh's side.

This was further fuelled by the 26-year-old actor's absence at the press panel, although Variety reports that she is set to walk the red carpet for the premiere at the festival tonight (September 5).

The reason for her absence is said to be due to her being busy with other projects, including filming for the Dune sequel.

Nonetheless, a reporter at the conference decided to address the rumours head on, asking Wilde: "Can you just clear the air and address whether there has been a falling out there and if so why, because it’s something that people are discussing?"

Wilde, who appeared alongside stars Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine, said: "Florence is a force and we are so grateful that she is able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune.

Warner Bros.

"I know as a director how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day so I’m very grateful to her and Denis Villeneuve for helping us – we’re really thrilled we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight."

She added: "I can’t say enough how honoured I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing in the film and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself.

"I don’t feel the need to contribute, I think it’s sufficiently well nourished."

Her response appears to reflect other statements she's made to the ongoing off-screen scandals that have surrounded the movie, with Wilde previously describing the gender pay gap allegations as nothing more than 'clickbait'.

As for the movie itself, Don't Worry Darling is set to land in cinemas later this month and sees Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) move to a pristine new community led by the creepy yet charming Frank (Pine).

However, things take a dark turn when Alice begins to wonder whether something sinister is going on with her husband's mysterious company.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]