Olivia Wilde was on stage in front of thousands of people when she was handed an envelope.
It was a hugely important moment, making a speech at CinemaCon – where decision makers from all around the world hear details of new releases – about only the second movie she’s directed, Don’t Worry Darling.
The culmination of years of work, this presentation would help decide whether her film was a hit or a flop.
“This for me? Right now?” Olivia asked. “This is very mysterious. I’m going to open it now... is this a script?” It was not a script.
The envelope, marked “Personal and Confidential”, contained legal papers relating to the custody of her children with Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis. Olivia had been served.
Not only did it happen in a packed auditorium, there’s video footage online which has been watched by millions of strangers.
Personal and Confidential? Hardly.
Olivia saw what was inside, and somehow managed to instantly re-focus and carry on with what she was doing. Anyone who has never appreciated her acting talents before could not fail to after that.
Anonymous sources say that Jason Sudeikis didn’t know where his ex-fiance was going to be served. Hmmmm.
We’ll probably never find out the truth... but with 99% of men it would come down to two little words. Harry. Styles.
If there’s a worse new boyfriend for the woman you were planning to marry to move on with than Harry Styles … well, there just isn’t. Even in the most amicable break-up, no one wishes their ex that well. Harry Styles is just… it.
No other man comes close. He’s broken the X Factor curse and the former boy band curse to become a successful, acclaimed solo artist, a full-on movie star, and an international fashion icon.
No one who has met or worked with him has ever had a bad word to say about him.
He’s famously kind, funny, and doesn’t take himself too seriously.
He could obviously go out with anyone in the world but instead of taking the tired cliché route he’s chosen an intelligent, ambitious woman 10 years his senior. He’s also changing, updating, the idea of what it means to be male.
As Olivia said when she cast him in Don’t Worry Darling (before she cast him in her life, as her darling), “To me, he’s very modern, and I hope that this brand of confidence as a male that Harry has – truly devoid of any traces of toxic masculinity – is indicative of his generation and therefore the future of the world.
“I think he is in many ways championing that, spearheading that.
“It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence.”
So while no one could condone Jason Sudeikis’ apparent low blow, you also can’t really blame him, can you? Must be agony.
Maybe he should get in touch with Liam Payne, and see if he can borrow his voodoo doll.
