NEED TO KNOW
Florence Pugh has no regrets about defending her former relationship with Scrubs star Zach Braff, whom she dated from 2019 to 2022
In a Nov. 10 podcast interview, Pugh recalled her 2020 video defending Braff, who's 21 years older than her
Pugh said that she had to "check" her fans, and remind them that she and Braff are "real"
Florence Pughstill doesn't regret standing up for her exZach Braffwhen online commenters criticized the former couple's 21-year age gap.
Pugh, 29, addressed her relationship with Braff, 50, in a Nov. 10appearanceonThe Louis Theroux Podcast, where she discussed how she navigated the controversy surrounding the difference between their ages. When asked whether or not she talks about her romantic relationships in the press, Pugh replied "not anymore."
"With relationships and with romance in this world, it doesn't matter how much you speak on it or how little you speak on it, people don't care. They want a story," Pugh said. "They sort of want a reality show, and so it doesn't really matter how much you say you love someone or how much they make you happy, if they don't like them and it doesn't fit that image that they want of you, they don't care."
TheDon't Worry Darlingactress dated Braff from 2019 to 2022, when Pugh confirmed toHarper's Bazaarthat the couple hadsplit. After the couple went public, Pugh says there was an "insane amount of abuse being hurled at my relationship just because there was an age gap," and she got fed up with it.
"I'll always defend people that I love, I will always stand up for them," she said. "If there needs to be a reset and a bit of a smack on the wrist, I will do that because it's not fair that so much of your life gets to have jabs."
Pugh responded to the criticism in a 2020 Instagramvideo, calling out Instagram commenters for "bullying" Braff after she posted a photo in celebration of his birthday.
"Within about eight minutes of the photo being posted, I had about 70 percent of the comments hurling abuse and being horrid — basically bullying someone on my page," Pugh said. "It is the first time in my entire Instagram life that I've had to turn off the comments on my page. I've never been an Instagram page that encourages that. I've never been an Instagram page that likes that toxic vibe."
Speaking with Theroux, Pugh said that she posted the video because she felt she needed to "check" her followers, and remind them that she and Braff are real people.
"It got to the point where it was just really horrible to see someone that you are with receiving that, and it was never at me, it was only at him," she said. "And I think I just needed to kind of just check everyone, and so I made a video and it got a lot of love and lots of people were supportive, which was great. I do think people online need to be reminded that we're real."
Later that year, Braffrecalled his reactionto Pugh's video in an interview. "She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that," Braff toldMr. Porter's. "I thought, 'How could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that?' So, I chose not to."
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Though Braff and Pughquietly parted waysin 2022, the couple has remained friendly. In a 2023 jointinterviewwithVogueto promote their filmA Good Person, Braff effusively praised Pugh's acting abilities.
"I quite simply think she's one of the greatest actors of her generation," the Garden State actor and director said. "She's just magnetic. You cannot take your eyes off of her."
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