Olivia Wilde hits back at cruel trolls over Gollum comparisons

Olivia Wilde has addressed the viral moment that left fans both concerned and, in some corners of the internet, unkind, after a red carpet clip sparked comparisons to Gollum.

The 42-year-old filmmaker found herself at the centre of online debate following her appearance at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where a close-up video,  viewed more than 10 million times , showed her looking unusually wide-eyed and gaunt, prompting a wave of speculation and commentary.

Rather than ignore the noise, Olivia chose to respond in her signature self-aware style, taking to Instagram Stories to poke fun at the moment and set the record straight.

Sharing a light-hearted clip filmed by her younger brother Charlie Cockburn, she addressed the viral reaction head-on. As he joked, “Olivia Wilde, do you care to address recent rumors that you’re a resurrected corpse?” she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t know why I was so close to the camera; I didn’t have to be,” she said, wrapping herself in a blanket and grinning at the absurdity of it all. “Do you have any more questions?”

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Before signing off, she delivered the ultimate deadpan response: “I’m not dead.”

Alongside the video, she added: “Leave it to your little brother to give you the maximum amount of s***,” leaning into the humour of the situation rather than the criticism.

The actress also pointed to the distorting effect of a fisheye lens as the likely culprit behind the unflattering footage, a reminder of how quickly a single angle can take on a life of its own in the social media age.

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Still, the online reaction was swift and, at times, harsh. Some users voiced concern, while others made unfounded assumptions about her appearance, with one writing: “What is happening to these actresses?” and another questioning the pressures within Hollywood.

Yet in reality, Olivia’s red carpet look told a very different story. At the event, she appeared effortlessly chic in a crisp white T-shirt paired with a flowing black satin skirt featuring an asymmetric hem and subtle train. Her hair was pulled back neatly with a bow, completing a look that felt understated, elegant and entirely her.

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She was attending the festival to promote her latest project, The Invite, a dark comedy she both directed and stars in alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.

Produced by A24, the film follows a dinner party that spirals wildly out of control and is already generating buzz ahead of its June 26 release.