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Florence Pugh and Zach Braff have kept their relationship very private — they rarely post photos of themselves together on social media. But a few days ago, Pugh let fans behind the curtain more than she usually does. On Braff’s birthday, April 6, Pugh posted on Instagram about the Scrubs star. Here is the post:
Her caption reads, “Today we shall smile wider than the clouds are grey. April 6th and we’re celebrating hard! Happy Birthday wishes, boogies and cheers for this special person. Raise those bubbles and jiggle!”
Braff & Pugh Received a Lot of Verbal Abuse After She Posted the Birthday Image to Her Instagram
According to Pugh, around eight minutes after posting the birthday image to Instagram, she was flooded with negative comments. Many fans have taken aim at the age difference between the two actors — with Braff being 45 and Pugh 24.
The comments she got on the post prompted her make post a video response to the hate a few days later. Here is her response:
The Lady Macbeth star’s Instagram caption reads, To those of you that this video applies to- please listen. Please learn. Being hateful is not trendy.”
Pugh Posted Her Feelings About the Negative Comments for Her ‘Own Piece of Mind’
“I’ve been wrestling with the idea for the past few days about whether I should do this video,” Pugh said in the Instagram video. She decided last night that for her own piece of mind, she would make it.
The actor said that within eight minutes of the birthday wish being posted, she had
“70 percent of the comments” hurling abuse and being horrid, and basically bullying someone on my page.”
This was the first time she has ever had to turn comments off of a post. Pugh tries to have an Instagram page that brings “some light and tries to be positive and tries to make people smile.” Pugh has made it clear that she will not allow that kind of behavior on her page.
She speaks about the current landscape of the world right now amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, and that “we need to be loving one another.” Pugh said, “The world is aching, the world is dying, and some of you decided to bully for no reason.”
The Fighting with My Family star said, “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, ever, ever, tell anyone who they can and cannot love.”
She asked individuals that want to post negative comments on the page to unfollow her.
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WATCH: Florence Pugh Addresses Fans ‘Bullying’ Zach Braff