The Friday Gossip Dump is a classic Hollywood move. You release a piece of news late on Friday, when people have wrapped up the work week, in the hopes that because of the weekend and people being focused on their plans, there will be much less attention and, if you’re lucky, some other sh-t goes down on Saturday and Sunday and your situation is buried by Monday. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are one of the most high-profile examples of the Friday Gossip Dump. They announced their separation on Friday January 7, 2005 around 6pm-ish. And no, nobody forgot about it by Monday. We still haven’t forgotten it!
With all due respect though, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are not Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. So the Friday Gossip Dump worked much better for them. PEOPLE broke the story after 7pm on Friday, revealing through a “source” (l presume one of their reps) that their seven year engagement is over.
"The split happened at the beginning of the year," a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE. "It's been amicable and they’ve transitioned into a great co-parenting routine. The children are the priority and the heart of the family’s relationship."
Whoever came up with this strategy and timing knows what they’re doing. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s election win and Donald Trump’s tantrum and refusal to concede are still dominating headlines. On the entertainment side, as mentioned, everybody’s talking about The Crown, and nobody really cares about the People’s Choice Awards but the photos from the event can pull a little focus in a year where there are precious few red carpet moments. So yes, it worked. Olivia and Jason definitely aren’t front-page news today. And they were barely front-page news on Friday.
That also probably has to do with the fact that their breakup seems pretty undramatic. They were together for a good stretch. They have two children. People grow apart. In that time, and especially over the last three years, Olivia has focused on her work as a director – and has become a sought-after director with two major projects underway, including one with Marvel. That’s the thing about relationships: you don’t always change together.
So… what’s next? Olivia is currently directly Don’t Worry Darling, which is had to be halted because of a COVID-19 situation. Harry Styles is one of the cast members. You know what I could see? Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles.
