Shia LaBeouf Wasn't Actually Fired From Don't Worry Darling - Exclusive

Shia LeBeouf shared text messages between himself and Olivia Wilde with Looper, which were independently verified. The exchange depicts LeBeouf telling Wilde he needed to back out of the project, and he apologized. Although curated by LaBeouf, the materials provided complicate the popular narrative that has circulated since the publication of Wilde's interview with Variety, and outright contradicts Variety's assertion that LaBeouf was "fired."

In an August 24, 2022 email to Wilde, also shared with Looper, LaBeouf wrote, "Firing me never took place, Olivia. And while I fully understand the attractiveness of pushing that story because of the current social landscape, the social currency that brings. It is not the truth. So I am humbly asking, as a person with an eye toward making things right, that you correct the narrative as best you can. I hope none of this negativly effects you, and that your film is succesful in all the ways you want it to be."

Looper spoke with representatives from Warner Bros., who revealed that LaBeouf exited "Don't Worry Darling" during the pre-production process. Reps for the studio did not confirm Variety's stance that Wilde fired the actor, instead offering a different explanation. According to Warner Bros. sources, LaBeouf's separation from "Don't Worry Darling" was a mutual decision between all parties, as the actor was not gelling with Wilde and the rest of the cast.