Ever since the director made that startling claim of firing Shia LaBeouf from Don't Worry Darling, the Honey Boyactor has sent two emails and multiple screenshots to Variety claiming he was not fired and had himself quit the film because he and the current bunch of actors didn't have the time to rehearse together. On Friday (August 26),a leaked video sees Wilde asking him to reconsider 'staying' on the project. So, what really happened?
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The 'Firing'
During the course of the interview with Variety that was published on August 24,Wilde said that although she is an admirer of Shia LaBeouf's work, the director felt at the time that it was her 'responsibility' to create a 'safe, trusting environment' for her actors. And therefore had to let go Shia LaBeouf owing to his creative process that required a certain kind of 'combative energy'.
'Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job,' Olivia Wilde told Variety.Shia LaBeouf, according to the interview, was asked to comment on the piece before it was published but he had declined to do so, claimed the magazine.
The 'hit back'
On Thursday (August 25), a day after the interview was released, LaBeouf denied through an email that he was fired, instead claiming he 'quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time' on August 17, 2020.
The actor then went on to forward two emails he claims to have sent to Wilde on Wednesday (August 24) and Thursday (August 25) after the Variety cover story was published. In the emails, LaBeouf wrote, 'You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse.'
He wrote in his email to Olivia Wilde on Thursday:
What inspired this email today is your latest Variety story. I am greatly honored by your words on my work; thank you, that felt good to read. I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired, however. You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn’t find time to rehearse. I have included as a reminder the screenshots of our text exchange on that day, and my text to Tobey.
He then concluded by saying that although he understands the clickbait-y nature of the article, and the need for it pertaining to the movie release, he says in his email to her that 'it is not the truth'.
Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth,'
The big 'leak'
Just three days after claiming in an interview that she had fired Shia LaBeouf (the former lead) of her upcoming directorial venture Don't Worry Darling, a video of her begging the actor to stay in the film was leaked online on Friday August 27.
In the video, Wilde can be seen talking to Shia through the video which she was recording at the time, and asking him to stay on the movie and that she was 'not ready to give up'.
'I wanted to reach out because I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet,' she said. 'I, too, am heartbroken, and I want to figure this out,' she said, in parts, before going on to hint at a possible rift between LaBeouf and the film’s lead actress, Florence Pugh (of Midsommar fame).
The director, who has claimed to have dropped the Honey Boy actor from her upcoming release, is now having to answer for a leaked video where she can seen asking Shia to 'stay' in the movie.
'I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us,' she can be heard saying in the now-viral video clip.
The background
In the past, various Warner Bros. sources had claimed that the actor was fired from the movie, but another source had claimed that the falling out was more of a creative difference as Shia's style of working is different than Wilde's, reports Variety.
LaBeouf sent screenshots of texts allegedly sent to him by Wilde in August of 2020, where he told her he wanted to opt out of the project where he was cast as the male lead Jack (later taken over by Harry Styles).
According to the texts, LaBeouf and Wilde met in Los Angeles to discuss his exit from the film on August 16, 2020. LaBeouf claims he 'officially' quit Don’t Worry Darling the next day, on August 17, 2020.
After meeting in person, Wilde sent him a text that read as:
Thanks for letting me in on your thought process. I know that isn’t fun. Doesn’t feel good to say no to someone, and I respect your honesty. I’m honored you were willing to go there with me, for me to tell a story with you. I’m gutted because it could have been something special. I want to make clear how much it means to me that you trust me. That’s a gift I’ll take with me.
Variety claims to have learnt that the texts were sent to Shia LaBeouf before learning about his immersive creative process as an actor.
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