STANDING UP

Florence Pugh Says She Felt ‘Hurt’ by Age-Gap Relationship Hate

“I stood up for it and I stood up for him,” said Pugh.

Florence Pugh revealed she was “hurt” by the criticism she faced over her age-gap relationship with Zach Braff. Pugh, 29, who dated the 50-year-old actor for three years before their 2022 split, opened up Tuesday about how she felt compelled to publicly defend the relationship. “I stood up for it and I stood up for him,” the actress said on The Louis Theroux Podcast. In 2020, while still dating Braff, she addressed the backlash on Instagram, calling the negative comments about her relationship “horrid” and “hateful.” She defended their difference in age: “I have been working since I was 17 years old,” adding, “I became an adult when I was 18 years old.” Ariana Grande cheered her on in the comments, “Oh I love and appreciate [you] so much,” she said. Joey King also chimed in, “You are simply the coolest.” When Pugh was asked if she will share her future relationships, she said, “Not anymore.”