The cast of Verity has finally addressed a wild fan theory surrounding the film’s opening scene. In a recent interview, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway, along with director Michael Showalter, broke down the shocking opening and explained why they remain unconvinced by one of the film’s most popular fan interpretations.
The viral theory suggests that Jeremy (played by Hartnett) intentionally orchestrated the bicyclist’s death in the opening scene so he could meet Lowen (played by Johnson) for the first time and gain her trust before she could meet his wife, Verity (played by Hathaway).
Reacting to the theory, Johnson questioned the logic on Entertainment Weekly: “Why would he do that?” Hartnett also chimed in to say, “He was already meeting her!” Meanwhile, Hathaway wondered, “Do you think that would have been Jeremy’s instinct?” She also compared the entire thing to “the Titanic door theory.”
Hartnett said his character would have “absolutely not” set up the death of a cyclist to meet Lowen. “I’m glad I didn’t think about that before we started filming; otherwise, I couldn’t be on his side,” he continued, adding that the theory is “so [out of] left field” and “crazy.”
Colleen Hoover likes that fans are still debating it
Director Showalter provided additional context, explaining that for the theory to hold weight, Jeremy would have needed to secretly collaborate with Lowen’s literary agent to coordinate exact physical locations and timing.
“This is actually something that I talked to Colleen about in the beginning,” Showalter said, adding that in both the book and the movie, Lowen was given instructions to arrive at a different time than the actual meeting “because she’s always late.”
Reacting to his views, author Colleen Hoover said that it’s “a good point” to make. “I like that you just debunked it, but I also like that there’s conversation about it,” she said. Hoover also offered some insight into her writing process, ostensibly hinting that the book’s opening scene wasn’t thought out in advance.
Produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Verity arrives in theaters on October 2, 2026.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
