Olivia Wilde says she's 'intrigued' by 'bedroom divorce' trend and thinks it could be a good thing for couples
Olivia Wilde has shared her thoughts on the ‘interesting’ concept of a ‘bedroom divorce’, explaining why it's ‘kind of sexy’.
The 42-year-old star has appeared on a new episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast, where she shared her thoughts on relationships following the release of her latest flick The Invite.
The film centres on unhappily married couple Angela (played by Wilde) and Joe (played by Seth Rogen) who invite their upstairs neighbours around for dinner one evening and the night ends up descending into some unexpected places.
During Wilde’s recent appearance on Theroux’s podcast, she admitted: “I think that there's this really unfair thing, this assumption that women don't want as much sex as men.”
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When asked how much sex she thinks is ‘normal’ in a relationship, she said the ‘real conclusion’ she had drawn was that ‘no sex is not normal’.
“It’s a sign that it might be a friendship,” Theroux offered, to which Wilde agreed that it made the relationship more akin to ‘roommates’, than a romantic partnership.
Theroux went on to say that they call it a ‘dead bedroom’, before asking the Hollywood star if she had heard of ‘bedroom divorce’.
He explained that a ‘bedroom divorce’ is when a couple decides to sleep in separate bedrooms and it seemed that Wilde was pretty interested in the concept.
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.”
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.
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'.
What is a 'bedroom divorce'?
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.”
Other wild bedroom trends
A 'bedroom divorce' isn't the only trend that has caught the internet by surprise. Take a look at these...
Toothing
No, toothing isn't about your pearly whites. As reported by Reuters via ABC, it's 'a form of anonymous sex with strangers, usually on some form of transport or enclosed area such as a conference or training seminar'.
Shallowing
Shallowing involves light stimulation around the entrance of the vagina, rather than full penetration. It can be enjoyed solo and even has some health benefits, too.
Warm sex
As opposed to hot sex, it means taking things slow, setting the mood and not solely focusing on penetration and orgasm.
Climaxxing
This doesn't mean having a really good orgasm, but building intimacy and pleasure into your daily routine, and acknowledging sex is an important part of your overall wellbeing.
Sploshing
Also known as the 'wet and messy' fetish, sploshing falls under the umbrella of sitophilia: the sexual arousal from food. It involves getting messy in the bedroom, though the trend isn't without its warnings.
Castlecore
Have you ever dreamed of prancing around medieval castles and fighting dragons? Well, the castlecore trend might just be for you - and you're not alone. In 2024, Lovehoney found an increase in customers experimenting with corsets and dildos inspired by fantasy creatures.
Topics: Celebrity
Claire Reid