Olivia Wilde Shares How Pamela Anderson Helped Her Weather The Hollywood Storm

Olivia Wilde recently opened up about the support she received from Pamela Anderson during a particularly rough patch in her career. The director faced intense scrutiny following the release of her 2022 film Don't Worry Darling. Claims about her personal and professional life swirled in the media, making the time incredibly challenging for the filmmaker.

On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Wilde expressed her admiration for Anderson after watching the documentary Pamela, A Love Story. She reached out directly with a simple message of respect. "I actually learned this from – this sounds so crazy," Wilde said. "But after I saw the documentary [‘Pamela, A Love Story’] I reached out to her, and I was like, ‘Yo, respect. Just want to say big fan.’" Anderson, aware of the difficulties Wilde was facing, offered direct words of wisdom during the period of intense public scrutiny.

"The most rebellious thing you can do is stay soft. Don’t let it harden you," Anderson told Wilde. The experience was "so hard," as Wilde felt an urge to speak out publicly against false claims but was advised that responding would not help. She stressed that it was not about her personally but about the movie everyone had worked so hard to make – especially the hundreds of people who had pushed through Covid under difficult conditions.

Wilde noted feeling frustrated that she could not defend herself, adding that the pummeling she took felt insanely disproportionate. Yet she focused on getting the film out for her cast and crew. The advice from Anderson resonated deeply as Wilde navigated the storm.