Olivia Wilde is finally addressing one of her most controversial relationships.

The actress turned heads in 2021 when she started dating Harry Styles, who is ten years younger than her. Naturally, the age gap got people talking, and the way they met added fuel to the fire.

Olivia Wilde’s romance with Harry Styles resurfaced early this year amid his engagement to actress Zoë Kravitz.

Olivia Wilde Doesn’t Fully Understand The Backlash Over Her Harry Styles Romance

During a recent podcast appearance, published on June 17, Wilde opened up about her controversial relationship with Styles. When asked why many were triggered by her romance with the former One Direction member, she confessed:

“Oh man, I don’t know. It really did upset people, though…It was crazy. I don’t know how much I understand it yet.”

Wilde told Alex Cooper on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she believed the backlash had less to do with her and more to do with society. She stressed that she wasn’t the first to be attacked for dating a younger man, noting her experiences were something other women have faced over the years.

The Actress Blames The Type Of Relationship Fans Have With The Singer

Wilde reiterated that she understood the hate was never about her, but more about the intense love fans had for Styles. She described their bond as a “kind of parasocial relationship,” which she noted was a burden all singers carry and hailed Styles for handling it with grace.

Nonetheless, she never understood the hate because she had the best time dating the “Watermelon Sugar” hitmaker. “It’s wild, because we had the loveliest relationship, like, so sweet and so beautiful and, like, really, actually very domestic and kind and lovely,” Wilde gushed.

The “Booksmart” director continued raving about their love, recalling how they existed inside their own world and couldn’t feel the backlash. “It’s almost like the happiness made them mad,” she mused, noting she would go to Styles’ shows and dance, only for fans to be upset by her appearance.

The Former Couple Met On The Filmmaker’s Movie

Wilde and Styles first met on the set of her 2022 movie, “Don’t Worry Darling,” where the singer starred alongside Florence Pugh in a supporting role. He joined the cast in September 2020 as actor Shia LaBeouf’s replacement after the latter quit due to scheduling conflicts.

Two months later, news of Wilde’s separation from her fiancé, Jason Sudeikis, broke, but there was no mention of third-party interference. Wilde and Styles still gave off a director-actor bond in December 2020, when she raved about his acting skills and non-toxic masculinity.

The dating rumors began in January 2021 when the then-couple was spotted holding hands at a wedding. At the time, they attended Styles’ agent’s wedding in Montecito, California, with a source telling PEOPLE that “they were affectionate around their friends.”

The Duo Separated After Dating For Nearly Two Years

Following their first sighting holding hands, the then-couple gave fans plenty to talk about, from taking trips to raving about their love for each other. They also supported each other, with Wilde spotted dancing at one of Styles’ concerts and promoting his unisex nail polish, Pleasing.

After nearly two years of lovey-dovey moments, a source confirmed that Style and Wilde were taking a break in November 2022. They claimed the duo decided to spend time apart amicably and remain “very close friends,” but the break ended up being permanent.

That same month, another source claimed Wilde was “disappointed” by the way things ended with Styles. The singer eventually moved on with actress Taylor Russell before finding love again with Zoë Kravitz, his reported fiancée.

How Olivia Wilde Allegedly Felt About Harry Styles’ Relationship With Zoë Kravitz

In May, The Blast reported that Wilde was back in the spotlight over Styles’ blossoming romance with Kravitz. A source claimed she had a challenging time after breaking up with the singer, who was equally hurt by their separation.

The source claimed their split was the hardest breakup the artist had ever endured, and he allegedly poured out his feelings in an entire album that never got to see the light of day. Fortunately, he found love again with Kravitz.

As for how Wilde felt about Styles’ new romance, The Blast shared that sources claimed she was far from comfortable with the situation. She allegedly found the relationship “awkward” because the singer had been entangled with women from her friend group in the past, such as Emily Ratajkowski.

What will Olivia Wilde share next?