The upcoming Olivia Wilde-directed Don’t Worry Darling has been fraught with rumors and apparent tensions among cast and crew publicized in recent weeks, but the drama came to a head at the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, when the internet convinced themselves that Harry Styles spit on one of his co-stars not only at all, but in front of the crowd. Styles was believed to spit on Chris Pine after footage went viral of the singer walking up to join the rest of his cast. His empty seat waited next to Pine, and just as Styles pivoted to sit, leaning slightly over his neighbor, Pine stopped clapping and looked down at his lap. Some thought the shape of Styles’ mouth suggested he’d hocked a loogie at his fellow actor, but Pine quickly appeared to be amused, suggesting that the timing was merely coincidental. Still, #SpitGate started trending, and fans were determined to uncover the truth. At his first concert following the event, the singer took a moment to address the incident. Naturally, his comment has been uploaded to the internet from several different angles. “It’s wonderful to be back in New York,” he told the crowd, guitar in hand. “I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine.” But his admission of guilt is clearly in jest, and it’s good to see his sense of humor intact after spending the last few days watching the internet tear him apart over for something he didn’t do. Pine’s rep shared a statement with People earlier this week noting that the mere idea of Styles spitting on their client was “ridiculous” and “a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation.” They went on to explicitly state that Styles did not spit on Pine, citing “nothing but respect” and absolutely no drama between the two.  But while this alleged kerfuffle turned out to be a big old case of turning nothing into something, the film certainly isn’t in the clear.  More News:

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