August 24, 2022: Wilde talks to Variety, dismissing rumors of a feud, saying, “Tabloid media is a tool to pit women against one another and to shame them.” She also describes the departure of LaBeouf thusly: “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances. I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job.”
August 26, 2022: LaBeouf tells Variety that he “quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time.”
LaBeouf claims that he and the director spoke about his quitting together, and that after a conversation the night before he officially left (mid-August 2020), Wilde texted him, “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.”
The actor also sent Variety a video that Wilde had allegedly sent him at some point during all this negotiation, in which she refers to Pugh as “Miss Flo” and seems to confirm that the actors did not get along. “I feel like I’m not ready to give up on this yet, and I too am heartbroken and I want to figure this out,” she says in the video, which has leaked online. “I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo,” Wilde continues, adding, “If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace—and I respect your point of view, I respect hers—but if you guys can do it, what do you think? Is there hope?”
How much of this is savvy PR for LaBeouf’s attempted redemption arc? In an email he shared with Variety, he writes to Wilde to both offer to make amends and also dispute her press strategy. Read for yourself and decide. Keep in mind that he told everyone he was abused by his father as depicted in his movie Honey Boy…and recently admitted that was not true.
