Chris Pine's Rep Tried To Clear Up The Harry Styles 'Spit' & The Memes Are Getting So Wild
He called it an "odd online illusion."
Harry Styles at the premiere of "Don't Worry Darling." Right: Chris Pine.
Chris Pine's rep is trying to knock down claims that Harry Styles spit on his co-star at the Don't Worry Darling premiere, in the latest twist to some behind-the-scenes drama that has fuelled so many memes and theories.
The incident in question happened Monday at the Venice Film Festival, where video showed Styles briefly leaning over Pine before taking a seat beside him at the theatre. Pine can be seen pausing and reacting to something just as Styles leans over him.
The video immediately blew up on social media, where it's been watched more than 11 million times on Twitter alone. Many are already convinced that it was a spit, although you can't see anything. (Yes, we looked).
Pine's representative came out to deny the whole thing in a statement to Variety on Tuesday.
"This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation," Pine's rep said.
"Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine."
The rep added that the two men have nothing but respect for each other, and "any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply doesn't exist."
The incident has consumed social media and inspired so many memes.
"On the one hand, Harry Styles very obviously did not in any universe spit on Chris pine," wrote one person. "But on the other hand, we are all very, very bored."
Others marvelled at the fact that Pine's rep had to say anything at all.
"The man barely has any controversy to comment on in two decades, and 5 minutes in Harry Styles' vicinity and you're having to clarify that your client has not in fact been spat on by a world-famous popstar," wrote one user. "Pure chaos."
It's not even the biggest controversy around the film so far.
We could explain all the drama involving director Olivia Wilde, star Florence Pugh and Shia LaBeouf, who was cast as the lead before leaving that role.
However, this meme pretty much gets to the heart of it.
Don't Worry Darling is due out in theatres on September 23.