He’s only about six months late to the party, but Chris Pine has finally decided to have his say on the whole Harry Styles ‘spitgate’ saga.
Remember all the Don’t Worry Darling drama? How could we forget.
If you cast your minds back to early September 2022, you may recall that 28-year-old pop icon Harry Styles ventured into acting by taking on his first leading role in the drama film Don’t Worry Darling – which is directed by Olivia Wilde, and stars Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, as well as Nick Kroll, Gemma Chan, and KiKi Layne.
Oh, and of course, Chris Pine.
The film was released to mixed reviews at the end of September, but premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and grabbed a whole host of headlines in the process.
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We’d be here all day if we tried to sum up all the drama and controversies surrounding the film, but by far one of the most talked-about moments from the festival was, bizarrely, the question of whether or not Styles spat on his co-star Pine as he sat down in his chair to watch a screening of the film.
/ Credit: Twitter
Caught live on camera, Pine’s shocked reaction to the supposed ‘spitgate’ interaction had fans convinced that it happened, and only added to the growing rumours that there was a rift between the two men.
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The footage subsequently went viral online, and racked up millions of views – seeing people weigh-in with their opinions in their thousands.
With hysteria around the situation growing, Styles first addressed and quashed he claims live on stage at Madison Square Garden – laughing it off and joking with the audience that “I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine – but fear not, we’re back.”
And now, Chris Pine has had his say… after six whole months.
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In a new video interview with Esquire while promoting his upcoming film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Pine revealed what actually went down between the two – and even admits that he himself can see why so many people believed the interaction.
But no, we all know by now, it didn’t actually happen.
“Harry did not spit on me. Harry is a very, very kind guy,” Pine begins as tells Esquire.
“It does look, indeed, like Harry spitting on me. He didn’t spit on me,” Pine added, before going on to explain: “I think what he said is, he leaned down and he said ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’. We had this little joke.
“We’re all jet-lagged, we’re all trying to answer these questions. Sometimes when you’re doing these press things, your brain gets befuddled and you start speaking gibberish. And we had a joke: ‘It’s just words, man.’”
We’re not quite sure we had jet-lag down as a potential reason for one of 2022’s most-talked-about moments, but if that’s we’re being told by the two men themselves, then what else do we have to go off?
Let’s finally just put it to bed now.
Featured Image – Esquire (via YouTube)
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Ole Gunnar Solskjær says just three players have spoken to him since leaving Manchester United
Danny Jones
Club legend and ex-Manchester United player turned manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has revealed that just three of his former players have been in touch since leaving Old Trafford.
Solskjær was sacked from the role as Man United head coach back in November 2021 after having been given the job permanently following an impressive winning run as interim manager.
The practically perfect start back at the helm of the club – where he starred as the ‘super sub’ during his playing days – was followed by a big slump, and the final decision was ultimately made in the wake of a 4-1 loss to Watford.
However, the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’s’ popularity among the players and the fans alike was never in question, so it’s come as somewhat of a surprise to many fans that Solskjær has said only a specific trio of United players have got in touch with him since his dream job came to an end.
At least two of the names read out might not surprise fans, as not only was then-club captain Harry Maguire one of his first statement signings, but so was Bruno Fernandes, who now has the armband, and both have remained key players and leadership figures pretty much ever since.
Speaking to BBC Sport on the senior duo, Ole said, “For me, Harry has always been a leader and a fighter”, and never had any doubts about him deputising for him on the pitch, before going on to label both the centre-back and Bruno as “top human beings.”
As for the third, although Victor Lindelöf looks set to leave the club this summer, he’s actually been a long-serving squad member, having joined back in 2017 and been a seemingly popular figure around the dressing room, even if injury problems have sometimes hampered his minutes.
He also went on to discuss other matters regarding the club, including confessing that it’s “hard to watch” United amidst their present struggles, both under previous manager Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim – even with a potential Europa League trophy consolation on the cards.
The retired striker also stated that he found the decision to let midfielder Scott McTominay go more than surprising, especially given the incredible performances he’s put on display since moving to Serie A.
Co-op Live has been named the number one arena in Europe following its debut year
Danny Jones
Despite a rocky opening month or so, Manchester’s Co-op Live made the ultimate instant recovery and has now been named the number one arena not just in the UK but all of Europe.
Manc music venues being best in class? Sounds about right.
Yes, even despite some obstacles, delays and early hiccups, Co-op Live‘s debut year as a live music and indoor entertainment venue has seen it beat out the likes of the long-established and iconic O2 in London to take the top spot.
The inaugural 12 months of the arena have not only seen it welcome all manner of music legends, as well as live sporting events such as the UFC and WWE, but the arena welcomed more visitors than any other venue across the continent during that time.
Names to have graced the industry-leading stage so far include Liam Gallagher, Stevie Nicks and Take That; Peter Kay, Elbow, Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, and so many more.
Commenting on the successful start, Tim Leiweke (CEO and chairman of the Oak View Groupbehind the venue) said: “Our ambition was to bring the world’s best music arena to one of the world’s greatest music cities and we are thrilled with the reaction from fans and artists alike over this past year.
“Co-op Live’s revolutionary acoustics investment has already attracted some of the world’s biggest artists and events to Manchester, with many more to come. And our sustainability commitment will ensure we remain responsible contributors to Manchester and the planet for years to come.
“We believe that amazing venues can transform cities for the better, and Co-op Live has done just that.”
It’s fair to say we’ve had some truly unforgettable nights in there already – and that’s just in the last month alone. Case and point:
With a continued commitment to achieving ‘Net Zero’ status too, the venue’s carbon reduction technologies, solar panels, heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, not to mention the recently refreshed CityLink walking in partnership with the Climate Pledge, are all things we can be proud of.
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, went on to add: “We are delighted with the success of Co-op Live’s first year, and to see it taking the top spot off London.
“It shows Manchester is the home of live music in the UK, with Co-op Live bringing so many exclusives from artists like Bruce Springsteen to the city and Oasis playing massive hometown shows this summer – 2025 is going to be one of the biggest ever for our city’s music scene.”
Meanwhile, things are feeling less fortunate at the grassroots end of the spectrum, as the Music Venue Trust is imploring people to get behind a vulnerable Manc music institution.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd March 2023 
