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Olivia Wilde responds to rumors that she left Jason Sudeikis for Harry Styles

"Our relationship was over long before I met Harry," Wilde revealed in a new interview. 

Olivia Wilde is slamming rumors that she left former fiancé Jason Sudeikis for boyfriend Harry Styles.

Wilde, 38, told Vanity Fair in a new interview that her relationship with the "Ted Lasso" actor was over "long before" she met pop star Styles on the set of the upcoming psychological thriller "Don’t Worry Darling," which Wilde directed.

"The complete horses--- idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate,” said Wilde. “Our relationship was over long before I met Harry.


Jason Sudeikis, Olivia WIlde, Harry Styles
Olivia Wilde, center, is denying rumors that she left longtime love Jason Sudeikis, left, for boyfriend Harry Styles, right.Sudeikis: David M. Benett via Getty Images for Apple; Wilde and Styles: Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

"Like any relationship that ends, it doesn’t end overnight," continued Wilde. "Unfortunately, Jason and I had a very bumpy road, and we officially dissolved the relationship towards the beginning of the pandemic."

Wilde and Sudeikis began dating in November 2011 and got engaged two years later. The couple share two children: Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5. The couple announced their split in November 2020.

Wilde explained that after she and Sudeikis went their separate ways, they continued to "co-parent" Otis and Daisy.

"Once it became clear that cohabitating was no longer beneficial for the children, it became the responsible thing to not, because we could be better parents as friends who live in different houses," she said.

The former "House" star added that she has been honest with her kids about the breakup. "They understand the concept of making decisions to protect yourself and to live an authentic, happy life. They really do," she said.

Wilde said she made the decision to end her relationship with Sudeikis because she had grown and changed during their time together.

"I evolved a lot between when I was 27 and 35. I found myself as a director. And I think I found myself as an individual. And sometimes when you evolve, you evolve out of relationships that were based on an earlier version of yourself," she explained.

Elsewhere in the interview, the "Booksmart" director opened up about the awkwardness of being served legal custody papers while she was speaking onstage in front of a packed audience at CinemaCon in April.

"So many people were shocked on my behalf,” said Wilde. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t that shocked. There’s a reason that I didn’t stay in that relationship. Unfortunately, that was consistent with my experience of the relationship. So I was probably the least shocked. But I was also deeply saddened by it — and disturbed by it in lots of ways."

She regretted how public the experience was because she will be unable in the future to prevent her children from learning about it. "Unfortunately, they will know that happened," she said.

Although she's in a romance with Styles — and the pair are busy promoting "Don't Worry Darling" together — Wilde said her priority will always be Otis and Daisy. “There’s nothing that is more important to me,” she said.

“I love driving to school every morning,” she added. “I love making pancakes. I love putting them to bed every night. They’re my best friends.”

Wilde, who was previously married to filmmaker Tao Ruspoli from from 2003 to 2011, said she hasn't ruled out walking down the aisle again. She cited as inspiration the successful union between her parents, editor and documentary filmmaker Andrew Cockburn and investigative journalist Leslie Cockburn.

“It’s incredibly supportive and they’ve evolved, individually and as a couple, through so many unexpected twists and turns," she said of her parents' marriage.

"They’re best friends. And I think that’s what marriage really is. It’s a commitment to a best friendship. And a partnership. I think now I really understand what that means.”