Chris Pine addresses Harry Styles spitting incident in Venice, calls Twitter hype ‘ridiculous’

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Harry Styles hit in face by flying objects at Los Angeles show

Harry Styles appeared to get pelted in the face by an unknown flying object during a recent show in Los Angeles. Credit: @_h00lia_/POP NATION /TMX

Chris Pine is clearing up the viral video from last year that appeared to show Harry Styles spitting on him during the premiere of their movie "Don’t Worry Darling" at the Venice Film Festival.

In an interview with Esquire for their March cover story, the actor said that no one spat on anyone, without offering a direct quote on the matter.

Last September, a video went viral showing Styles walking into a row of seats at a screening for the movie, avoiding eye contact with co-star Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde, who was his director and girlfriend at the time.

As he turns to sit, something appears to fly out of his mouth, and you see Pine look down at his pants, pause, and then laugh at whatever just transpired.

Chris Pine, seated next to Harry Styles during the screening of "Don't Worry Darling," addressed the viral video that led fans to believe Styles had spit on him. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto)

Chis Pine is on the cover of the March issue of Esquire, on stands March 7. (Mark Seliger)

Fans on Twitter went wild with speculation, and it became another chapter in the film’s notorious history of on and off set drama.

At the time, Pine's representative told Fox News Digital, "Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine." They also echoed Pine's stance that, "This is a ridiculous story… a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation." 

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Pine didn’t have much to add on the subject, brushing off reports of the feuding between Wilde and Pugh.

"If there was drama, there was drama," Pine told the outlet of the production, adding, "I absolutely didn’t know about it, nor really would I have cared. If I feel badly, it’s because the vitriol that the movie got was absolutely out of proportion with what was onscreen." 

Pine said in the interview he was unaware of any drama during "Don't Worry Darling" and added he wouldn't have really cared. (Mark Seliger)

The "Don’t Worry Darling" production and media tour was riddled with negative press, beginning with conflicting reports about why Styles replaced original star Shia LaBeouf. Wilde claimed in an interview with Variety that she fired the actor to ensure the safety of Pugh, but LaBeouf fired back maintaining that he quit, and a subsequent video was released that appeared to show Wilde begging for LaBeouf to not leave the project.

A rift had also allegedly been brewing between Pugh and Wilde over Wilde’s romantic involvement with Styles during filming.

The bad buzz for the film culminated in Venice, where Pugh did not attend a press conference for the film and seemed strategically placed away from Wilde in photos.

"Don't Worry Darling" stars Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, Sydney Chandler, director Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Florence Pugh and Nick Kroll on the red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5, 2022, in Venice, Italy. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Pine summarized the speculation as being blown out of proportion.

"Venice was normal things getting swept up in a narrative that people wanted to make, compounded by the metastasizing that can happen in the Twittersphere. It was ridiculous."

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In the new interview, Pine also addressed the fate of the "Star Trek" franchise. 

Fans of the "Star Trek" films may not want to get their hopes up about a fourth edition, according to Pine.

The actor, who played Capt. James T. Kirk in all three films beginning with 2009’s "Star Trek," said he’s not aware of what, if anything, is happening with the franchise.

"I don’t know anything," Pine said. "In ‘Star Trek’ land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything. I know costume designers that have read scripts before actors."

The franchise rebooted in 2009 with "Stark Trek," followed by "Star Trek Into Darkness" in 2013, and so far the last film "Star Trek Beyond," which was released in 2016. 

Zachary Quinto as Cmdr. Spock with Chris Pine as Capt. James T. Kirk in a scene from "Star Trek Into Darkness." (CBS)

"Star Trek Beyond" was well reviewed but didn’t blow away the box office. It happened to come out the same year as two Marvel blockbusters, "Captain America: Civil War" and "Doctor Strange."

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Pine seemed to think the competition with Marvel has a role in stalling a fourth "Star Trek" film.

"I’m not sure ‘Star Trek’ was ever built to do that kind of business," he said. "Why aren’t we just appealing to this really rabid fan group and making the movie for a good price and going on our merry way, instead of trying to compete with the Marvels of the world?"

He continued, "After the last one came out and didn’t do the $1 billion that everyone wanted it to do, and then Anton – Yelchin, who played Chekov – passed away, I don’t know."  Pine paused and later said, in the interview, "It just seemed... feels like it’s cursed."

Pine’s co-star, Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in all three films, died in a freak accident in 2016, after he was pinned by his SUV between a mailbox and security fence.

Anton Yelchin in 2015. The actor died a year later at 27 in a freak accident when his car rolled down his driveway and pinned him. (Arthur Mola/Invision/AP)

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Esquire spoke with the "Star Trek" films producer and director J.J. Abrams, who hinted something was in the works.

"It’s the first time [since the original reboot] that we have a story that feels as compelling as the first one," he told the outlet. 

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Chris Pine told Esquire that the "Star Trek" film franchise "feels cursed." (Mark Seliger)

Pine, in the interview, seemed resigned to whatever fate is in store for the franchise.

"I would say it’s frustrating," he said. "It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been. I love the character. I love the people. I love the franchise. But to try to change the system in which things are created – I just can’t do it. I don’t have the energy."