Harry Styles Pokes Fun at Spit-Gate at His Madison Square Garden Concert

Just when you think Spit-gate has ended, it pulls your right back in. The spit heard ’round the world at the Venice Film Festival came from a video at the premiere of Don’t Worry Darling that seemed to depict Harry Styles walking up to his spot next to Chris Pine and prompting spitting on him before sitting down. Pine reacted accordingly and thus the internet ran with it. We covered the statement put out by Pine’s reps (because that’s the world we live in) but now Styles poked fun at it.

Currently doing a residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Styles took time out of his Love On Tour performances to head to Venice for the festival and premiere of his movie Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde and co-starring Florence Pugh, Pine, Gemma Chan, Kiki Layne, Nick Kroll, and more. Heading back to his shows, there was obviously a lot happening online with the “drama” of the premiere, and in a frankly hilarious move, Styles commented on what has been dubbed “spit-gate” by calling it out while on stage.

“This is our 10th show at Madison Square Garden,” Styles said. “It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine.” With a pause and laughter, he finished the video by saying, “But fret not, we’re back!” and carrying on.

Spit-gate will never leave us

As predicted by myself the minute the video went around the internet, this is something that we’re just going to always talk about—and not because it’s real or because we’re all that invested anymore, but because it was just so much of a thing on the internet that I don’t think there will be a time when someone doesn’t bring it up as a bit.

Honestly, it’s funny. If it’s not true, then we have a bunch of people online just making fun of it now for all the world to see. And Harry Styles adding to that is honestly the move. My problem with a lot of the rumors surrounding Don’t Worry Darling is that everyone is quick to dismiss them, and it leads to no one then talking about it that much. Do things like this? You take hold of the narrative and get more attention for your film at the same time.

I don’t necessarily think that anyone should have to address stuff like this because it’s just the internet doing what it does, but with the other drama surrounding this movie, this is, in my opinion, the right move. Is this going to be the common line of questioning as they gear up for the press tour for this movie? Most definitely, but alas, that is just the way this movie is shaping up to be, and if it means more of Styles joking like this? Then at least that’s going to be funny.

(featured image: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)