Olivia Wilde opens up about her and Harry Styles 'protecting' their relationship out of 'deep love'

Gearing up for the premiere of her film Don't Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde spoke up about her much talked-about relationship with former One Direction band member Harry Styles in a new interview with Variety.

Olivia, who just won her first custody battle against ex Jason Sudeikis, got candid about her romance with the 28-year-old artist, admitting the two share a "deep love" while still holding back details about their connection.

"I'm not going to say anything about it because I've never seen a relationship benefit from being dragged into the public arena," the 38-year-old actor and director said to Variety. "We both go out of our way to protect our relationship; I think it's out of experience, but also just out of deep love."

Although tabloids started reporting on Olivia and Harry's relationship back in January of 2021, right after Harry was cast in Olivia's directing effort, Don't Worry Darling, the two have hardly gone on the record about their relationship.

Olivia herself, however, has not been shy about expressing her feelings towards tabloid culture. 

"The whole culture of celebrity gossip is interesting as a distracting tool to numb people from the greater pains of the world," she said in her latest interview. "Escapism is really a very human quality, searching for something to anesthetize the painful reality of so many people's lives. I don’t blame people for seeking escapism, but I think the tabloid media is a tool to pit women against one another and to shame them."

The actor has clearly had experience with the form of media, especially following her breakup with Jason after nearly a decade together (the two share 8-year-old son Otis and 5-year-old daughter Daisy Josephine). 

On April 26 of this year, Olivia was infamously served custody papers while giving a public talk on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The episode was caught on camera and, since then, Jason went on the record to say that he wasn't aware of what was going to happen and was "deeply upset" about the public nature of the occurrence.

Unsurprisingly, outlets extensively reported on the interaction.

"It was my workplace," Olivia said to Variety, referring to the CinemaCon episode. "In any other workplace, it would be seen as an attack. It was really upsetting. It shouldn't have been able to happen. There was a huge breach in security, which is really scary. The hurdles that you had to jump through to get into that room with several badges, plus special COVID tests that had to be taken days in advance, which gave you wristbands that were necessary to gain access to the event — this was something that required forethought. [...] But, you know, sadly, it was not something that was entirely surprising to me. I mean, there's a reason I left that relationship."

For what it's worth, the celebrity is conscious of the career path she's chosen. "I willingly walked into the spotlight," she said to the outlet. That being said, "it's not something my children have asked for. And when my kids are dragged into it, it's deeply painful."

That latest incident has probably contributed to Olivia’s desire to mostly stay quiet about her current romance with Harry. In a way, the actor and director will have her own work speak for itself, as her much anticipated psychological thriller, Don't Worry Darling, is scheduled to premiere on September 23.