Olivia Wilde Praises Florence Pugh (Again), Addresses Claims She's 'Abandoned' Her Kids

In an interview with Elle for the magazine's 2022 Women in Hollywood issue cover story, the actress-director called out what she described as "untruths" written about her during the highly-publicized promotion of "Don't Worry Darling," which she both directed and starred in.

If you recall, one of the several rumors that circulated ahead of the psychological thriller's release last month included a reported beef between Wilde and star Florence Pugh, whom Wilde praised, as she has in the past.

"It is shocking to see so many untruths about yourself traded as fact," Wilde, 38, told Elle. "Florence had a really wise comment that we didn't sign up for a reality show. And I love that she put it that way, because it's as though the general public feels that if you are making something that you're selling to the public, you somehow have accepted that your life will be torn to shreds by a pack of wolves. No, that's actually not part of the job description. Never was."

The "Booksmart" director said the manner in which the film has been discussed has been "minimized into bite-size TikTok points." And while some may think any publicity is good publicity, Wilde joked that she didn't intend to "throw myself into the flames for the movie."

However, she expressed her frustration that the media has been focusing more on what possibly happened off-screen rather than the movie itself.

"This film is trying to ask big questions, but [it's] 'Let's just focus on this sideshow over here,'" Wilde said. "Having been a known figure for a while...makes me well-equipped to have a Teflon exterior. But it also means that you're under a different kind of microscope. It's brought my attention to the media and how it pits women against one another."

As for Pugh, Wilde had only good things to say about her, telling Elle, "She's so generous in her acting in every scene. She makes everyone around her better."

Meanwhile, also during her interview, the "House" alum -- who shares son Otis, 8, and daughter Daisy, 6, with ex Jason Sudeikis -- opened up about being motherhood while in the spotlight, hitting back at people who believe she's "abandoned" her children as she's not photographed with them.

"I share custody of my kids with my ex," Wilde said. "If I'm photographed not with my kids, people assume I have abandoned them, like my kids are just somewhere in a hot car without me."

"The suggestion is that I have abandoned my role as a mother," she added. "You know why you don't see me with my kids? Because I don't let them get photographed. Do you know the lengths that I go to to protect my kids from being seen by you?"

Elsewhere in the cover story, the mom of two spoke about being hit with ageist hate on social media.

"It's so interesting for me when that comes from women because I'm like, 'Do you plan on not getting older? Or if you already are older, do you feel that you don't deserve the same opportunities in life?' It's so sad to me to look at that and realize people have such small expectations for their own lives and they are projecting those expectations onto me. And I reject your projections."

Read Wilde's full Elle interview, here.

Elle's 2022 Women in Hollywood November issue -- which also features Sydney Sweeney, Issa Rae, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Yeoh, Ariana DeBose and Zoë Kravitz -- hits newsstands on November 1.