Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis Hugged: Conspiracy?
These two are always up to something
Just when you thought Olivia Wilde would step away from the glitz and glamor of going to the gym, she’s back with a new trick up her sleeve. Despite the reports of ongoing animosity between Wilde and her ex-partner Jason Sudeikis — who may or may not have had her served with custody papers during CinemaCon, and who may or may not have freaked out about a salad dressing she made for Harry Styles — the two were caught on-camera — ready for it? — HUGGING.
Page Six caught the two sharing a parking lot embrace over the weekend, which begs the age-old paparazzi question: was this hug staged?
The Stakes
Olivia Wilde has had one of the more stressful public years on record, ranging from her to-this-day denied (by him) relationship with Harry Styles to her financially successful but emotionally traumatic press tour surrounding her sophomore feature Don’t Worry Darling. Jason Sudeikis, on the other hand, had to deal with his longtime partner leaving him for a 28-year-old pop star while the goodwill he’s amassed over the years playing a human inspirational quote on Apple TV+ has started to fade away (see his recent Golden Globes snub after a long streak of winning every award imaginable). Also this former couple — press rollercoaster aside — share two young children, so you know, something to consider there.
The prosecution argues, “The hug was staged.”
As my coworker Kelly’s Olivia Wilde at the gym blog proves, this is a girlie who loves the paparazzi and will do anything to court their favor. And why wouldn’t she? Her mere presence in the cultural landscape is no doubt paying the salary of multiple photographers eager for a glimpse of her in a sports bra and leggings. This type of shot, however, is the gold standard. Once-embittered exes sharing a moment of tender reconciliation. Remember how fucking goo-goo ga-ga everyone went for when Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston just, like, touched hands at the SAG Awards?
This is like that times one thousand. A staged hug allows both Wilde and Sudeikis to put to rest negative rumors surrounding them individually and as a unit and appeal to America’s most cherished unit, the nuclear family.
The defense argues, “The hug was real.”
Consider the details in the photos of the hug: the parking lot location, namely. This was not, I don’t think, a random meet-up to court pap photos. This was most likely a custody hand-off, done in person. Despite the public location of the meet-up, this brief catch-up between the couple was probably surrounding their young children, with updates and information and to-knows for whoever is taking over parenting for a couple of days. Their kids are likely nearby. Despite all claims I have otherwise made, I do know that celebrities are human and capable of growth. It would not surprise me in the slightest that after Sudeikis and Wilde’s miserable last year they would want to make amends with each other.
The Verdict
My hunch is that it was staged, and that will have to be enough for now. Luckily, if I need confirmation from Olivia Wilde, I know where to find her.