Florence Pugh recalls defending ex Zach Braff amid online 'bullying': 'I could see the toll that it was taking'

Florence Pugh is willing to fight for her relationships, even if it means standing up to toxic social media users.

While opening up about her romantic pursuits to Vogue U.K., the We Live in Time actress indicated that while she prefers her privacy, she doesn’t regret her 2020 decision to speak out against internet commenters who were attacking her then-boyfriend Zach Braff.

​​“I had to be public in the past because people were bullying me and bullying my partner,” Pugh, 28, explained. “Mine and Zach’s relationship was actually quite private until it was nasty, and I could see the toll that it was taking on him and us and our families. And that’s when I spoke out.”

She continued, “I think for anyone I’m with, I want to protect them. It’s not nice knowing that people are saying the worst things I’ve ever read about someone that I love. So that was necessary. I needed to talk about it. I think any relationship in this limelight is going to be stressed.”

The couple, who dated between 2019 and 2022, endured intense scrutiny throughout their relationship, including persistent commentary about their age gap. (Braff, now 49, is 21 years her senior.) This came to a head when Pugh posted a 2020 Instagram tribute to Braff, celebrating his birthday. The post was immediately inundated with comments criticizing their age difference.

At the time, the Oscar nominee didn’t hesitate to push back against the “toxic” comments with a video response. 

"I am 24 years old. I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love, and I would never in my life ever tell anyone who they can and cannot love. It's not your place, and really it has nothing to do with you," she said in the 2020 video. "If those rules are something that you do not like, then please unfollow me, because the abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you're throwing at me, and I don't want those followers."

Now, the actress admits that public scrutiny can be intense, especially where social media is concerned. “It’s so hard. [The internet’s] a very mean place," Pugh said, adding, “It’s really painful to read people being nasty about my confidence or nasty about my weight. It never feels good.”

Pugh revealed in Harper's BAZAAR's September 2022 issue that she and Braff had quietly broken up. She is now embarking on a new romance with a special someone.

"We are figuring what we actually are,” she shared. “And I think for the first time, I’m not allowing myself to go on a roller-coaster. I’m allowing myself to take time to let something evolve and let it be completely real to its core, as opposed to racing into that.”

She added, “Falling is the most amazing feeling, but unfortunately if that’s the only thing that you know in a relationship, then that’s the thing that you chase. That’s not gonna last.”

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

At the moment, Pugh is well attuned to the magic of romance, thanks to We Live in Time, her upcoming film with Andrew Garfield. With a trailer that hints at tearjerking tragedy, the story promises a passionate if unconventional love affair between two people, brought together by a surprise encounter.

“Watching this movie makes me want to be active in my decisions and actually live,” Pugh added. “I was at the right age for this movie to land. I was going through a lot of weird stuff with relationships last year and I think part of the story is to not be passive, is not to let things wash over you. I want to go and find love and I want to have babies.”