“I think Harry leaned down and said, ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’” he recalled, claiming Styles leaned down to tell him “a little joke”.
“We were all jet-lagged and trying to answer questions. And sometimes when you’re doing these press things, your brain goes befuddled and you start speaking gibberish, so we had a joke: ‘It’s just words.’”
Last year, a spokesperson for Pine denied the rumours, calling them “ridiculous”.
The statement read: “This is a … complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation.
“There is nothing but respect between these two men, and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
Styles himself poked fun at the “Spitgate” rumours while performing in New York City, telling the crowds during one of his shows, “It is wonderful to be back here ... I just popped over to Venice to spit on Chris Pine, but fear not, we’re back!”
Several of his co-stars also addressed the incident, including the film’s director and Styles’ ex-girlfriend Olivia Wilde, who called it “a perfect example of people who look for drama anywhere they can”.
“Harry did not spit on Chris, in fact. He really didn’t.”
But it wasn’t the only drama surrounding the film. Rumours swirled of a “screaming match” between Wilde and lead actress Florence Pugh.
Wilde also reportedly argued with the film’s original lead, Shia LaBeouf. She told Variety in August last year that she fired him to make Pugh feel safer on set, though the actor claimed he chose to leave the film.
