Olivia Wilde publicly responded to social media trolls who likened her appearance to The Lord of the Rings’ Gollum.
After attending a screening of her new movie The Invite at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 24, Wilde’s red carpet interview with San Francisco Chronicle sparked online commentary around her facial features, with some social media users drawing comparisons to the physically deformed fictional creature.
In a Sunday, May 3, Instagram Story shared by Wilde, 42, her brother Charlie Chockburn was heard asking his older sister, “Olivia Wilde, do you care to address recent rumors that you’re a resurrected corpse?”
A giggling Wilde, lying in a bed wearing a hoodie and surrounded by blankets, responded, “Listen, that is a fisheye lens and I admit, is that my best angle or was that my best ever look? No. No, it’s startling, it’s a startling image.”
The post included a screenshot of Wilde’s face during the interview, positioned next to an image of Gollum from one of the fantasy trilogy’s films. “It was a fisheye lens and I don’t know why [I] was so close to the camera, I didn’t have to be,” Wilde continued. “That’s not the truth. Do you have any more questions?”
Wilde’s comments drew loud laughter from Cockburn, 33, before the amused Don’t Worry Darling actress and director concluded to the camera, “I’m not dead.”
Wilde further captioned the post, “Leave it to your little brother to give you the maximum amount of s***.”
In the days that followed Wilde’s San Francisco Chronicle interview, which discussed how essential San Franscico was as a backdrop within The Invite, starring Wilde, Seth Rogan, Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz, her appearance drew significant online commentary. In addition to Gollum comparisons, questions regarding cosmetic procedures and weight-loss methods arose via social media.
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One social media user wrote via Instagram, “My thoughts and prayers are with @oliviawilde and her injector.”
The media attention comes on the back of Wilde seemingly confirming her new romance with art dealer Caspar Jopling. In an Instagram post shared on January 28, Wilde was seen snuggling up to a man, whom Us Weekly reported at the time was Jopling, 34. In the cozy snap, Wilde was captured with her eyes closed as Jopling, who is Ellie Goulding’s former husband, hugged her tight with his arms wrapped around her back. (Goulding, 39, and Jopling share one son, Arthur, 4. The exes announced their split in February 2024.)
Wilde and Jopling were first linked after photos published by Page Six in September 2025 showed the pair kissing outside a London restaurant.
