Blocking out the haters. Florence Pugh is done facing “abuse” over the 21-year age difference between her and boyfriend Zach Braff.
The Little Women star, 24, wished her man a happy 45th birthday on Monday, April 6, and “within about eight minutes” was the target of hateful messages in her Instagram comments. Three days later, Pugh shared her unfiltered thoughts on the negativity surrounding her relationship, noting that “being hateful is not trendy.”
“I’ve been wrestling with the idea for the past few days about whether I should do this video and then finally last night I thought, for my own peace of mind, I should,” the Midsommar actress explained in a candid video message to her followers. “I have never been an Instagram page that likes the toxic vibe. I have only been an Instagram page that tries to bring some light and tries to be positive and tries to make people smile. I will not allow [bullying] on my page. I’m not about that. It makes me upset. It makes me sad during this time — when we really all need to be together, we need to be supporting one another, we need to be loving one another. The world is aching and the world is dying and a few of you decided to bully for no reason.”
As she continued her emotional testimony, Pugh revealed that the “horrid” messages she received over the sweet birthday tribute caused her to turn off the comments on her account for “the first time in my entire Instagram life.” The Oscar-nominated actress then stood up for her decision to date an older man and explained that her love life should not be micromanaged by strangers on social media.
“I’m 24 years old. I have been working since I was 17 years old. I have been earning money since I was 17 years old. I became an adult when I was 18 years old and I started paying taxes when I was 18 years old,” she said. “I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love, and I would never in my life ever, ever tell someone who they can and cannot love. It is not your place. And really it has nothing to do with you … The abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you throw at me.”
Pugh was first linked to the Scrubs alum in April 2019 when they were spotted walking hand in hand through New York City. Later that month, the pair teamed up on Braff’s short film Time It Takes to Get There. As their relationship continued to blossom, the English actress has constantly defended herself over the vast age difference between her and Braff. When a fan posted a nasty comment on one of her Instagram photos in December 2019, Pugh joked that Braff “still got it” despite their age gap.
Though she’s experienced backlash over her relationship, the Black Widow star’s vulnerable video earned her a ton of love from famous pals Ariana Grande and Joey King. While the Kissing Booth star, 20, reminded Pugh that she was “simply the coolest,” the “Focus” singer, 26, applauded the Brit for her honesty and courage.
“‘Being hateful is not trendy’ a new tattoo for my chest,” Grande wrote. “Oh I love and appreciate u so much.”
