Harry Styles Jokes at Concert He Went to Venice ‘Spit on

  • Harry Styles poked fun at speculation that he had spit on Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival.
  • He made his remarks during a Wednesday evening concert at Madison Square Garden.
  • Representatives for Styles and Pine have denied that the spitting incident occurred, per media reports.

Singer and actor Harry Styles on Wednesday joked onstage that he had visited the Venice Film Festival to spit on actor Chris Pine, poking fun at the roiling online speculation that there may be tensions between the pair.

“I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine, but fear not, we’re back,” he told fans during his evening performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A spokesperson for Styles did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Styles and Pine star in the film “Don’t Worry Darling,” a psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde that premiered on Monday at the 79th Venice Film Festival. Styles and Wilde are currently dating.

A video of Styles and Pine at the premiere went viral after some fans became convinced that Styles had spit on his co-star while taking his seat in the theater. In the video, Styles can be seen pursing his lips as he sits down, after which Pine looks down at his lap before laughing and shaking his head.

A spokesperson for Pine denied that the incident had occurred and told People it was a “ridiculous story” and a “complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation.”

“Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine,” Pine’s representative said. “There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”

The Guardian reported that sources close to Styles also denied claims that the singer spat on Pines at the event.

Theories about the so-called “Spit-Gate” video abound on social media, with fans debating the details of the 11-second low-resolution clip.

Discussion of the video has become part of the wider speculation and gossip about the working relationships among the cast of “Don’t Worry Darling,” stoked by fans who have dissected the minutiae of the film’s premiere — from the time that lead actor Florence Pugh arrived at the event to Pine bringing sunglasses to the theater.