Celebrities take personality over looks to the next level and lately, we’ve been seeing a pattern in Hollywood: Beautiful women with very average men by their side. Surprisingly enough, Florence Pugh joined this unique list quite a while ago.
The internet collectively gasped when Pugh, who was quickly climbing the A-list, was seen hand-in-hand with Zach Braff. Many fans immediately started googling, ‘Who even is Zach Braff?’ And honestly, we can’t blame them. After all, he’s one of those familiar faces that you know from somewhere but can’t quite place (he’s from Scrubs, by the way).
Upon their Google session, a lot of people weren’t exactly thrilled about the relationship, especially because of the age gap. Now, it might just be over for Pugh and Braff for good. Or is it?
Is Florence Pugh dating Zach Braff?
It appears that Pugh and Braff have recently called it quits, and the Midsommar actress has already moved on to new ventures. In an interview with British Vogue, the 28-year-old actress opened up about her relationship with Braff, 49, which began in 2019, attributing their breakup to the public backlash they faced after their relationship became known.
“I had to go public in the past because people were bullying me and bullying my partner,” Pugh told British Vogue. “Zach and I actually kept our relationship pretty private until things got ugly, and I could see how much it was affecting him, us, and our families.” She also admitted to frequently feeling the need to defend Braff against the criticism.
“I think for anyone I’m with, I want to protect them. It’s awful knowing people are saying the worst things I’ve ever read about someone I love,” she explained. This constant need to defend Braff was one of the many reasons their relationship became strained in the spotlight, adding to the stress among their families and themselves.
The couple met in 2019 on the set of the short film In the Time It Takes to Get There, where Pugh played the lead role and Braff directed. Despite their 21-year age difference, their relationship quickly blossomed, but critics soon emerged. During an Instagram Live, Pugh once again addressed the topic of their age gap.
“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.”
Despite the challenges they faced, Pugh still looks back on her relationship with Braff fondly. However, she admitted to British Vogue that she’s now seeing someone new. “I am [in a relationship]. OK, so something that I resonate with is that I believe that if magic is real, then it’s falling in love. So there is someone. Yes. We are figuring out what we actually are.”