As the gossip and drama continues to swirl around “Don’t Worry Darling,” “The View” host Joy Behar is a bit baffled by the criticisms of director Olivia Wilde. So, on Thursday’s episode of the show, the host took a few moments to defend the director.
The ladies began the segment by discussing Wilde’s latest magazine profile, released Thursday in Vanity Fair, and how it factors into the ongoing discussion around the film. Naturally, the conversation quickly focused more on the situation at large, with the women giving their thoughts on everything that’s happened.
Host Sunny Hostin said that, between Wilde’s reported relationship with Harry Styles; purported pay disparities between Styles and Pugh (which Wilde has previously refuted); and the fact that Wilde claimed to have fired Shia LaBeouf in order to protect Florence Pugh, only for leaked video reportedly sent by Wilde to LaBeouf, in which Wilde begs him to reconsider working on the film, to be released; Hostin worries that Wilde is “taking on the qualities of toxic masculinity.”
At that, Behar jumped in to defend Wilde and point out a sexist double standard.
“First of all, the director does not decide the salaries, the producer decides the salaries,” Behar said. “She may not have anything — she may have nothing to do with that. Number two: sleeping with your co-star. That’s been going on with men since silent movies.”
Hostin conceded to Behar’s points, but questioned if “we want that” at all, from any director, male or female. To that, Behar admitted “maybe not,” but then defended Wilde’s relationship with Styles, citing a lack of uncertainty on the circumstances surrounding it.
“I mean, people meet each other at work,” Behar said. “And I don’t know if there’s a big power play there. If they want to hook up, I don’t think it’s my business.”
Behar also questioned the criticisms of Wilde in regards to Shia LaBeouf, calling the debate on whether he was fired or quit a “he said/she said” situation.
“Why do you believe him and not her?” she questioned, prompting Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin to remind Joy that Wilde’s video to LaBeouf was leaked, showing her asking if there was still any “hope” that he might stay with the project.
Farah Griffin joked that, on the whole, “there’s more drama here than the Trump West Wing.” She would, of course, be uniquely positioned to know that, having worked in the Trump White House until 2020.
Meanwhile, moderator Whoopi Goldberg wasn’t all that thrilled with the topic. She backed up Behar on her point about who decides salaries on a movie, but otherwise stayed mostly quiet. To end the segment, Whoopi started flicking water from her cup onto herself, joking that it had suddenly started raining in the studio, and that they simply had to go to break.