Olivia Wilde’s viral head nod from 2017 Trump Tower protest goes viral again 9 years later

Michael Moore led the crowd in chanting 'we love America,' prompting Olivia Wilde to give a distinctive double head nod in agreement
Olivia Wilde joined filmmaker Michael Moore and other celebrities, including Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Kazan and Marisa Tomei, at the New York protest (Neil Mockford/WireImage)
Olivia Wilde joined filmmaker Michael Moore and other celebrities, including Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Kazan and Marisa Tomei, at the New York protest (Neil Mockford/WireImage)

NEW YORK CITY,  NEW YORK: Actress Olivia Wilde is making waves on the internet, not for her comments about her former lover, her movie 'Don’t Worry Darling', or her new one, 'Invite'.

The actress is trending for her head nod. Social media is going berserk as one of her videos from the 2017 Trump Tower protest has resurfaced 9 years later. The clip went so viral that it turned into a GIF. The headshot has also established itself as one of the staple internet memes.

Well, this is not the first time she has gone viral, but it is the first time one of her GIFs has gone viral.

Olivia Wilde attends
Olivia Wilde attends 'The Invite' UK Special Screening at Picturehouse Central on July 01, 2026 in London, England (Neil Mockford/WireImage)

Olivia Wilde’s viral head nod from Trump Tower protest sparks nostalgia 9 years later 

The actress-director’s nod is basically from August 15,  2017. The nod was captured while she joined a protest led by filmmaker Michael Moore, co-hosted by Mark Ruffalo. Other than Wilde, Zoe Kazan, Harvey Weinstein and Marisa Tomei also attended. 

The protest was held in response to the violent white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. While leading the protest and chanting, "we love America," Wilde delivered that double nod to confirm the slogan.



That brief clip was later taken from the livestream and turned into a GIF to express smug approval, validation and agreement. For those unaware, every August has become a seasonal moment when social media platforms like X and Instagram routinely bring back clips that went viral years ago.

These clips often regain trending status. Much like that, Wilde’s GIF is also trending.

Olivia Wilde’s viral moments go beyond her iconic head nod

The actress had a couple of viral moments recently, apart from her head nod. She went viral for her looks after being compared to Gollum from 'The Lord of the Rings'. 

Stories about her drastic change in appearance spread across social media. This happened during her visit to the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 24, where she promoted her new project, The Invite.

Later, she joked about it and shared an Instagram Story, explaining that the unusual appearance was because of the camera lens. “Listen, that is a fisheye lens,” she said. “And I admit, is that my best angle? Was that my best-ever look? No.”

Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are seen in Soho on March 15, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images)
Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are seen in Soho on March 15, 2022, in London, England (Neil Mockford/GC Images)

She added, “It’s a startling image. It was a fisheye lens. I don’t know why I was so close to the camera; I didn’t have to be. That’s not the truth.”

On the other hand, she also made headlines for her 10-year age gap with singer Harry Styles. She shared a couple of details about their relationship and her emotional stance toward it. 

Wilde spoke about what she had to face while being in a relationship with someone who was not her age. She also shared how she found balance after weathering the storm and ending the relationship.

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