Olivia Wilde Sparks Reactions With Her Take on ‘Bedroom Divorce’
Updated 14:56 12 Nov 2026 GMTPublished 01:41 21 Jul 2026 GMT+1
She was interested in the idea of couples sleeping in separate rooms
The idea of a 'bedroom divorce' might be appealing to many couples, and Olivia Wilde sounds like a fan.
It's where the relationship survives but there's a separation as far as the bedroom is concerned, at least when it comes to the time for sleeping.
Some folks have trouble getting their head down for a good eight hours while they have another person right beside them, so actually getting to sleep in different rooms might be good for both people's mood.
Wilde was chatting to The Louis Theroux Podcast about her movie The Invite, which tells the story of an unhappily married couple played by Wilde and Seth Rogen who decide to invite their neighbours round for dinner and things spiral from there.
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She said a bedroom divorce was 'kind of sexy', adding that 'no sex is not normal' in a relationship as that was more like living together as roommates.
Olivia Wilde admitted to being ‘intrigued’ by the concept of a ‘bedroom divorce’ (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
“It’s a sign that it might be a friendship,” Theroux offered, to which Wilde agreed.
Theroux went on to say that they call it a ‘dead bedroom’, before asking the Hollywood star if she had heard of ‘bedroom divorce’ and explained the concept, which got some interest from her.
She replied: “I don't know, I think that's kind of sexy. I'm intrigued by that. You could, you could invite her over in a way that allows for maybe there's a little bit of mystery in there.
“I think that's interesting.”
Wilde stars alongside Penélope Cruz in The Invite (A24)
Leaning into the idea of keeping a bit of mystery and interest in relationships, Wilde continued: “In American culture, why do we think, ‘Oh, we're so intimate. We know everything. I know everything about him. He knows everything about me. That means we're really close?’
“And it's like, are you close? Are you close, or do you feel an entitlement to this person's private life because that makes you feel somehow safe?
“And does that work for you in one way but inherently remove the necessary erotic charge that keeps you interested in this person? And is that one reason why so many marriages fail? Maybe.”
Elsewhere in the long-ranging interview, Wilde opened up about the very public breakdown of her relationship with Don’t Worry Darling co-star Harry Styles, 32.
Wilde also revealed that promoting her new movie has been ‘healing’ after the press cycle for Don’t Worry Darling (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for BAFTA)
The actor has previously addressed her age-gap relationship with Styles saying it was ‘the loveliest relationship’.
On his podcast, Theroux said the release of Don’t Worry Darling was marred by ‘multidimensional scandals’.
“Your relationship at the time was breaking up. You had a well-publicised relationship with your co-star Harry Styles and, there was a kind of a misogynistic dimension to a lot of the coverage of the drama, the fallout,” he said.
Prompting Wilde to admit that she believed all the press surrounding the break up did ‘hurt’ the film and added that doing the press run for The Invite had been 'healing'.
(Getty Stock Image)
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), a little over 30 percent of American couples have opted for a ‘bedroom divorce’ or ‘sleep divorce’, with couples aged 35 to 44 most likely to give it a try.
ASSM spokesperson Dr Seema Khosla said last year: “As clinicians, we’ve seen our patients and their spouses become more intentional about their sleep environment as they try to improve their sleep health. Often, this includes a conversation about separate sleep spaces to accommodate temperature preferences or even ambient lighting and noise.
“When our sleep is compromised due to a disruptive partner, resentment can grow. Poor sleep also leads to diminished empathy, patience and understanding. Rather than fostering a poor sleep environment for appearances, a thoughtful conversation with the bed partner can result in a stronger relationship, since each partner is achieving more restful sleep.
“The key is to communicate preferences and be intentional about spending time together before retiring to separate sleep spaces.”
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Topics: Celebrity, Sex and Relationships