Harry Styles: what did singer and girlfriend Olivia Wilde say in Rolling Stone interview - what is age gap?

In a profile for Rolling Stone, Harry Styles, former member of One Direction turned “new King of Pop”, and girlfriend Olivia Wilde (House, In Time) opened up about the onslaught of abuse they have received in regards to their relationship.

The two have said very little about their relationship, which began after they met on the set of upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling, starring Styles opposite Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Midsommar) and directed by Wilde.

What did they say about their relationship?

In the profile for Rolling Stone, in which Styles talked about things like his music and two upcoming films, the singer said that he had “never talked about my life away from work publicly and found that it’s benefited me positively”.

He added: “There’s always going to be a version of a narrative, and I think I just decided I wasn’t going to spend the time trying to correct it or redirect it in some way.”

Turning to social media, Styles described Twitter as “a s**tstorm of people trying to be awful people” - and it’s easy to see why. Throughout the course of his relationship with Wilde, the director has been subjected to an intense amount of criticism.

He said: “Can you imagine going on a second date with someone and being like, “Ok, there’s this corner of the thing, and they’re going to say this, and it’s going to be really crazy, and they’re going to be really mean, and it’s not real… But anyway, what do you want to eat?”.”

Styles also added: “It’s obviously a difficult feeling to feel like being close to me means you’re at the ransom of a corner of Twitter or something.

“I just wanted to sing. I didn’t want to get into it if I was going to hurt people like that.”

Wilde made a brief appearance in the feature on Styles when she was asked about her experience with his fans.

She said: “What I don’t understand about the cruelty you’re referencing is that that kind of toxic negativity is the antithesis of Harry, and everything he puts out there.

“I don’t personally believe the hateful energy defines his fan base at all. The majority of them are true champions of kindness.”

Why do people have an issue with their relationship?

While only a small percentage of Styles’ massive fan base has an issue with his relationship with Wilde, it’s certainly a vocal one.

As the Rolling Stone profile notes: “Anonymous tweeters acted appalled at their age difference (as if a 28-year-old man dating a 38-year-old woman isn’t completely normal) and criticised the director-actor dating dynamic (as if there isn’t a long history of beloved Hollywood couples meeting the same way).”

Others have also taken issue with the alleged overlap between Wilde’s relationship with ex-partner Jason Sudeikis and Styles.

Filming for Don’t Worry Darling began in October 2020, while it’s been said that Wilde and Sudeikis, who were together for 10 years, didn’t split until November 2020.

How long have they been together?

Styles and Wilde met on the set of Don’t Worry Darling back in September 2020, and were first photographed holding hands whilst attending a wedding together in January 2021.

At the time, a source told People that the two had already been dating “for a few weeks”.

Since then, the pair have been photographed a number of times, holding hands and sharing kisses.

In September 2021, Wilde was spotted dancing at Styles’ concert at the MGM in Las Vegas.

A few months later, in November, Wilde was seen wearing a Love on Tour t-shirt from Styles’ 2021 tour.

Chatting to Vogue for its January 2022 issue, Wilde touched on the attention that her relationship with Styles has garnered.

She said: “It’s obviously really tempting to correct a false narrative. I think what you realise is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you.

“All that matters to you is what’s real, and what you love, and who you love.”

She added: “I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, and it’s just wonderful to feel that.”

Almost a year into their relationship, a source told People that the pair were getting to know each other’s families, with Styles reportedly getting to know Wilde’s children, whom she shares with ex Sudeikis and Wilde spending time with Styles’ mother.

Earlier this year, in May, Howard Stern asked Styles in an interview for his SiriusXM show: “You fell in love on a movie set?”

Styles mostly played down the question of falling in love, and instead praised Wilde for her directing. He said: “I had a wonderful experience being directed by Olivia.

“I think there is something that obviously… acting is very uncomfortable at times. I think you have to trust a lot.”

He added: “Being able to trust your director is a gift. That was very helpful, and it really meant for a really nice experience working on that movie.”