Penélope Cruz did not see the question coming.
During a game of "Truth Serum" for Allure magazine, Cruz and her co-star and director Olivia Wilde were asked whether Hollywood swingers are a real thing. Cruz gasped and shot back immediately.
"What the f–k do I know?" Cruz answered. "I mean, all I do is school, football, dance, work, kids, work — that's my life."
The segment, published Thursday, features celebrities answering unfiltered questions regardless of how uncomfortable the subject matter gets. Cruz and Wilde were there to promote their new film, The Invite, in which Cruz plays Piña, a provocative psychotherapist and sexologist. The subject of swingers came up naturally enough given the role, but Cruz made clear the character had nothing to do with her personal life.
Wilde could barely contain her laughter during Cruz's response. She clarified the question was not necessarily about Cruz herself, asking, "It doesn't have to be you, but are swingers a real thing?"
Cruz did not back down from her position of ignorance on the matter, though she added a caveat. "If they exist, they don't tell me about it," she said. "I mean, I don't know stories about that, but if you know, you better tell me because I like knowing everything. And I don't repeat it."
Wilde then revealed she had heard of one instance and leaned in to whisper the name privately. Cruz immediately pointed out the flaw in the plan. "You have a microphone there, you have another one here," she joked.
Wilde acknowledged the whispered name would likely still be picked up, but she added context. She said that while she knew swinging existed in Hollywood, she had never seen it with her own eyes, and noted that the nature of the entertainment industry means rumors circulate about almost everyone and everything.
The two ended the segment on a lighter note, agreeing that they would be interested in finding out more. Cruz suggested they should "invest some of our time" into figuring out whether the rumors were true. Wilde said she was on board. "Okay, I'm open to that," she said. "I like that mission."
The Invite marks Wilde's third feature as a director. She launched her directing career with Booksmart in 2019, a coming-of-age comedy that received widespread critical praise. She followed that with the psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling in 2022, which drew attention both for its performances and significant behind-the-scenes controversy. The Invite also stars Seth Rogen and Edward Norton.
