Florence Pugh Speaks Out Against Instagram Bullying After Her Birthday Tribute to Zach Braff
Florence Pugh is a delight on Instagram. Sometimes she shares her enthusiasm for the simple pleasures in life, like her favorite tea, or she might indulge in one of her favorite homey activities: cooking. Recently, the 24-year-old actress shared a birthday tribute to her boyfriend, Zach Braff—but many people disrupted the typically fun atmosphere of her account with nasty comments, and Pugh responded to the unwelcome interactions in a forthright new post.
“To those of you that this video applies to,” she wrote in the caption. “Please listen. Please learn. Being hateful is not trendy.” In the video, Pugh—who is wearing what she calls “spot stickers,” because she can’t not be relatable—noted that she wrestled with the decision whether to address the “bullying” but eventually decided for her own peace of mind to do something about it. She gently but firmly asked her followers to lay off the criticism. “It is the first time in my entire Instagram life that I’ve had to turn off the comments on my page,” said Pugh, adding, “I have only been an Instagram that tries to bring some light and tries to be positive and tries to make people smile.”
“I will not allow that behavior on my page,” said Pugh, noting, “The world is aching, and the world is dying, and a few of you decided to bully for no reason.… I’m 24 years old. I do not need you to tell me who I should or should not love.... It is not your place, and really, it has nothing to do with you.” This isn’t the first time Pugh has responded to critics of her relationship; last year she replied to an Instagram comment that highlighted the age gap between her and 45-year-old actor-director Braff.
Pugh concluded by expressing her hope that her social media could continue to be a positive place for connection, where we can all enjoy her dancing, joking, and wildly charming cooking videos. (She made marmalade! And ratatouille! She’s doing just fine.)
Originally Appeared on Vogue
