florence pugh at a premiere
(Marleen Moise/Getty Images)

‘… Quite private until it was nasty’: Florence Pugh opens up about split from Zach Braff

Florence Pugh has someone new in her life, but she isn’t going to talk openly about it until they have defined their relationship more. In the meantime, the Thunderbolts star talked about her past relationship with Scrubs actor Zach Braff and what their breakup taught her.

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First getting recognition for her work in Lady Macbeth, Pugh has become something of a household name recently. She is an actress many fans love seeing, and while she is starring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she also continues to breathe new life into indie films. It isn’t hard to love a Florence Pugh role/character, but her new fame has also attracted the ire of many online. So many were angry at her for simply wearing a sheer top at one point.

Now, Pugh is the cover star for British Vogue for her new film, We Live in Time. During the interview, she shared a bit of information about her new partner. “We are figuring what we actually are,” she said, “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.”

But she also got very candid about her past relationship with Braff and how the public reception of it weighed heavily on them. Braff is 21 years older than Pugh, and many commented on this when their relationship went public. She is currently 28 years old and was very much a woman in her early to mid-20s when the two started to date.

Being forced to speak out

Pugh also talked about being asked about the drama with Don’t Worry Darling. The Olivia Wilde movie faced public scrutiny when it seemed as if the cast was all feuding with each other. When she was asked about it with British Vogue, she stated that she wanted to move away from talking about it because it detracted from the work she was doing with other films.

She then clarified that, in the past, she was forced to say something because she was getting bullied online for her relationship with Braff. “I had to be public in the past because people were bullying me and bullying my partner.” Pugh went on to talk about the toll it took on them as a couple.

“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. 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.”

Whatever Pugh needs in her new relationship is something that fans (and the general public) should give to her.


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Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.