Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde Comment on 'Sh-tstorm' of 'Toxic Negativity' About Their Relationship

The couple addressed some of the "toxic negativity" surrounding their much-scrutinized relationship in a recent feature on Styles in Rolling Stone.

The two met on set of Wilde-directed "Don't Worry Darling," which is already getting awards buzz for Styles' acting efforts, and subsequently broke the internet when they were seen holding hands at a wedding in January 2021 (for Styles' manager Jeffrey Azoff).

The timing -- which to some fans online seemed to be awfully close to Wilde's split from Jason Sudeikis --, their age difference (she is 10 years his senior), and Wilde being Styles' "boss" as director of "Don't Worry Darling" were all weaponized in an online assault.

Then came even pettier attacks on Wilde involving her dancing and people dragging up old quotes and jokes from her past -- things Styles, obviously, greatly dislikes (he thinks of Twitter as "a shitstorm of people trying to be awful to people").

"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," Styles says. "I just wanted to sing. I didn't want to get into it if I was going to hurt people like that."

Wilde, meanwhile, says the majority of her boyfriend's fanbase is made up of "deeply loving people."

"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," she told Rolling Stone. "I don't personally believe the hateful energy defines his fan base at all. The majority of them are true champions of kindness."

For more on what Harry and Olivia said about working together on "Don't Worry Darling" -- hitting theaters on September 23 -- head over to RS!