The actor and filmmaker addressed the reaction Saturday, May 2, in an Instagram Stories video that included a side-by-side image of her from a red carpet interview with SFGATE and Gollum, the character from “The Lord of the Rings.” (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently. )

The comparison had circulated online after Wilde’s April 24 appearance at the festival’s opening night.

In the video, Wilde’s brother, Charlie Cockburn, jokingly asked, “Olivia Wilde, do you care to address recent rumors that you’re a resurrected corpse?”

“Listen, that’s a fish-eye lens. And I admit, is that my best angle? Was that my best-ever look? No. No, it’s startling. It’s a startling image,” Wilde said.

She continued, “It was a fish-eye lens. I don’t know why I was so close to the camera. I didn’t have to be. That’s not the truth.”

Then, laughing, she added: “I’m not dead.”

Wilde, 42, was in San Francisco for the opening-night screening of “The Invite,” her third feature as director after “Booksmart” and “Don’t Worry Darling.” The San Francisco-set comedy-drama stars Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.

The online conversation around Wilde’s appearance began after a festival interview drew comments from social media users, some of whom criticized the camera angle while others expressed concern. 

Some commenters made unsupported claims about her health or speculated about weight-loss medication. Wilde did not address those claims directly.

At the festival, Wilde focused instead on the film and its San Francisco ties. 

“I think we really took advantage of everything that I love so much about this city,” she said on the red carpet. “It’s such an incredible cultural melting pot, and you can feel that. It sets the tone for our film.”

The screening also marked a notable return to the Castro Theatre for SFFilm after the venue’s renovation. Wilde told the Chronicle she was emotional about showing “The Invite” there on 35 mm film.

“To come back after the Castro has gone through this incredible renovation and to be able to screen this film on film, through the film projector, and to feel that experience for the first time with a crowd watching the film projected as it was intended — I’m very emotional about the whole experience,” Wilde said.