Yahoo News Florence Pugh Slams Fans Who Criticized Her and Zach Braff's Age Difference: 'It Is Not Your Place'
Florence Pugh isn’t going to let anyone “bully” her boyfriend Zach Braff.
On Wednesday, Pugh, 24, shared a video on Instagram, slamming her followers for criticizing her and Braff’s age difference.
Pugh began the clip by explaining that she wrestled with the idea of speaking out, but ultimately felt compelled to do so.
“On Monday, I posted a photo in honor of Zach’s birthday and I wrote a birthday message underneath. 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,” Pugh continued.
Pugh shared that she aims to have a page that “tries to be positive and tries to make people smile.”
“I will not allow that behavior on my page. I’m not about that. It makes me upset.”
“It makes me upset that during this time when we need to be together, the world is aching and the world is dying, and a few of you decided to bully for no reason,” Pugh said seemingly in reference to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Pugh then grew more stern saying, “I’m 24 years old.”
“I have been working since I was 17. I have been earning money since I was 17. I became an adult when I was 18.”
“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 tell anyone who they can and cannot love,” Pugh said.
“It is not your place,” Pugh said adding that if anyone has a problem with it they can unfollow her.
RELATED: Florence Pugh Wishes ‘Special Person’ Zach Braff a Happy Birthday: ‘Today We Shall Smile’
“The abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you are throwing at me, and I don’t want those followers. I do not want to have to be protecting my comments every time I post a picture of him. I really hope that I can continue this relationship with a lot of you,” Pugh added.
In honor of Braff’s 45th birthday, Pugh shared a sweet message alongside a photo showing Braff sharing a snooze — and a cuddle — with his puppy, which he appears to be fostering through the Labelle Foundation, an animal rescue located in Los Angeles.
“Today we shall smile wider than the clouds are grey. April 6th and we’re celebrating hard!” she captioned the snapshot. “Happy Birthday wishes, boogies and cheers for this special person. Raise those bubbles and jiggle!”
Pugh’s decision to fire back at fans isn’t the first time she’s had to defend her relationship.
Splash News online Florence Pugh and Zach Braff
Back in December, Pugh posted an Instagram photo of herself getting food after a long flight.
“First pit-stop, Matzo Ball soup,” she wrote, adding the hashtag “#curingjetlag101.”
Braff commented on the post with a princess emoji. In response to the Scrubs alum’s comment, one of Pugh’s followers pointed out the couple’s 21-year age difference, writing, “you’re 44 years old.”
Pugh herself clapped back at the commenter, writing, “and yet he got it ??.”
The pair were first spotted together in April 2019, and were seen holding hands in New York City earlier this month.
Splash News online Florence Pugh and Zach Braff
The couple were also spotted separately at the New York premiere of Little Women, in which Pugh starred alongside Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet. In early November, the actors attended the Marriage Story premiere in New York, where they posed separately on the red carpet.
Amid the ongoing global health crisis, Pugh and Braff have been social distancing together.
In March, the couple were photographed stocking up on groceries, arriving at the store on the back of Braff’s motorcycle.
