Harry Styles and Chris Pine Spitting Drama More Entertaining Than ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Could Ever Be

As if the premise of Don’t Worry Darling wasn’t dramatic enough (a 1950s housewife suspects her perfect desert community isn’t as idyllic as it seems and attempts to escape its grip), the cast of the psychological thriller has generated enough drama of its own to make a whole other film. The latest instigators of internet gossip: Harry Styles and Chris Pine.

But first, let’s review. Aforementioned drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling has included: the departure of Shia LaBeouf from the lead male role, which was usurped by Styles, who then proceeded to date Olivia Wilde, who said she fired LaBeouf in order to protect lead female star Florence Pugh, who has since insinuated she doesn’t need any damn defending.

All the gossip surrounding the film came to a head at the Venice Film Festival, where the cast converged to premiere the flick. In perhaps the most bizarre development thus far, a now-viral video appears to show Styles spitting on co-star Chris Pine.

The clip, which was all the internet wanted to talk about this week, appears to show Styles approach Wilde and Pine, who are seated and applauding, and spit in Pine’s lap. Pine looks down in surprise, shakes his head, then smiles to himself. Styles then acknowledges his so-called girlfriend (rumors have already begun about the demise of that relationship) with an oddly casual hand gesture before turning his attention to his phone.

It’s all enough to make you say, “Um, what?” Take a look for yourself and see if you think “spit-gate” is for real or is only the latest internet illusion designed to distract us.

Pine’s rep has released a statement to People denying that anything untoward occurred between the two actors.

“This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation,” the rep said. “Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”

Fans and critics were firmly divided on this issue.

“i don’t see any spitting literally this video doesn’t show anything except the massive tension between them,” was one tweet representative of the no-spit side.

But the spit side insisted some bodily fluid was exchanged.

What do you think, Mandatory readers? Spit or no spit? Inquiring minds want to know. And more importantly: will you bother to see Don’t Worry Darling or have you had enough of this petty drama that seeing the film seems redundant?

Cover Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Staff (Getty Images)