Harry Styles returns to film festival circuit with ‘My Policeman’ after Chris Pine ‘spitgate’ drama

Harry Styles reappeared on the film festival circuit, this weekend as he made his first appearance since the Chris Pine ‘spitgate’ drama, at Venice International Film Festival.

The As It Was singer, 28, went viral last week after a video circulated online which fans believed to show Styles spitting into the lap of Don’t Worry Darling co-star, Chris Pine, 42.

A spokesperson for Chris Pine, immediately shot down the ‘ridiculous’ suggestion that Harry spat on him, as he took his seat next to him, at the screening.

Styles, who is from Redditch, lightheartedly joked about the claims as he returned to his Love On Tour’s residency, at New York’s Madison Square Gardens.

Harry laughed as he told his fans: “I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine…but, fear not, we’re back.”

Now that everyone has moved on from the spitgate drama, Harry is focusing on the promotion of his other upcoming film, My Policeman, at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Styles attended the press conference for the film, alongside his co-stars, Emma Corrin, Rupert Everett, David Dawson and the director Michael Grandage.

My Policeman is set in 1950s Brighton, and sees a gay policeman, Tom (Styles), marry a schoolteacher (Corrin), whilst also being in a relationship with museum curator, Patrick Hazelwood (Dawson).

During the TIFF event, the former X Factor star opened up about how he prepared to play a repressed gay character.

“I think he’s very curious,” Styles said about his character.

“I think people live entire lives in very small bubbles, and if that’s how you’ve been brought up, and everyone around you and generations before you, your parents, have all lived within their kind of small bubble, it’s obviously very difficult to even picture the world outside of that.”

Following its TIFF screening, My Policeman received a standing ovation, but the applause was cut short as the singer needed to catch a plane immediately to resume his world tour.

Afterwards, Cinemablend wrote: “It’s an important story that shows how many queer folks the system left behind in past generation. Harry Styles had a strong performance as the titular character.”

Whilst another critic, The Cinemaholic, tweeted: “My Policeman is surprisingly very, very good. The kind of period romance drama that Hollywood should make more. And yes, Harry Styles is terrific.”

The Hollywood Reporter gave mixed reviews after the screening stating: “My Policeman’ Gets Warm Reception, but not as loud as screams for Harry Styles outside.”

The American digital and print magazine, went on write about the lack of chemistry between the leads, “Harry Styles and Emma Corrin Bring Minimal Heat to Tepid Gay Melodrama.”

The film has so far been met with more mixed reviews, with many referring to the singer’s acting skills and the chemistry between co-stars, as affecting the film’s popularity with critics.

My Policeman is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from November 4.