Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde Address ‘Cruelty’ From Social Media Over Their Relationship

Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are confronting some of the social media “cruelty” that’s surrounded their relationship. The Harry’s House singer, 28, and Don’t Worry Darling director/actress, 38, addressed the “toxic negativity” they’ve faced from fans during their time together in a new profile for Rolling Stone. 

Calling Twitter a “s-storm of people trying to be awful to people,” Styles said he largely sees the good in his fandoms, although he knows large online communities can breed hatred and toxicity. “That obviously doesn’t make me feel good,” he said, revealing that there are very awkward conversations that he’s had very early on in relationships. “Can you imagine going on a second date with someone and being like, ‘Okay, there’s this corner of the thing, and they’re going to say this, and it’s going to be really crazy, and they’re going to be really mean, and it’s not real,” the former One Direction member continued. “But anyway, what do you want to eat?’”

Styles insisted that it’s not all of his fans that act this way, but said the small portion that does take a toll. “It’s obviously a difficult feeling to feel like being close to me means you’re at the ransom of a corner of Twitter or something,” the “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” singer said. “I just wanted to sing. I didn’t want to get into it if I was going to hurt people like that.”

Wilde, when asked about her experience with her boyfriend’s fans, called them “deeply loving people.” She continued, “What I don’t understand about the cruelty you’re referencing is that that kind of toxic negativity is the antithesis of Harry, and everything he puts out there I don’t personally believe the hateful energy defines his fan base at all. The majority of them are true champions of kindness.”

The A-List couple met in 2020 on the set of Don’t Worry Darling, which stars Styles and Wilde alongside Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Kiki Layne. The thriller, Wilde’s directorial follow-up to Booksmart, premieres in theaters on Sept. 23.