Olivia Wilde says she's 'envious' male colleagues get gentler press coverage: 'Must be nice'

Olivia Wilde can't help but wonder if the coverage around Don't Worry Darling would be different if she were a man.

The director observed that the press around her films "always seems to be different" than that of her male counterparts during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show Wednesday.

"I mean, am I envious of my male colleagues in the way that they seem to be able to live their lives without as much judgment? Yeah, I think about it," she said. "I'm like, 'That must be nice to be that guy. Everybody's just, like, applauding just every move he makes.'"

Earlier in the interview, Wilde acknowledged she always knew that directing is a "male-dominated" field. "It has been for a long time," she told host Kelly Clarkson. "Being a female director, there's not that many of us, not for lack of talent just for lack of opportunity. There's a lot of great young filmmakers that are out there that are women. So, I'm, like, prepared for that."

But Wilde said what hurts the most is when the judgment comes from other women. "I'm just like, 'Can we just give each other the benefit of the doubt and just have each other's backs?'" She asked. "Wouldn't that be great?"

Wilde's TV appearance comes amidst ongoing rumors of drama unfolding between her and the film's cast — most notably actress Florence Pugh — both on set, in leaked video messages, and at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. During the show, the actress called the social media controversy a "soap opera" and shared how she's attempting to navigate all of the so-called "noise" online.

"My stuff is out there, but I'm alive and my kids are alive and that's what gets me through," she shared. "I remind myself of that every single day." Wilde added that she is staying away from the internet and social media too, calling it "a losing battle."

"Focusing on what's real — your trusted circle of friends… things that make you happy, people you love, people who love you, and just keeping your mind on what's real — I think that's how I get through it," she said. "I think, 'God, it could be a lot worse and we're alive and everything's gonna be okay.'"

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Florence Pugh praises Don't Worry Darling costars with extra love for 'bloody cute' Chris Pine
• Florence Pugh to miss the Don't Worry Darling press conference in Venice, will walk the carpet
• Everything (we think) we know about all the Don't Worry Darling behind-the-scenes drama
• Don't Worry Darling review: Florence Pugh and Harry Styles get lost in Shangri-La