Actress Florence Pugh has opened up about her experience with an unhealthy relationship, shedding light on the emotional and physical toll it took on her. Speaking candidly on The Louis Theroux Podcast, she reflected on the painful journey of recognizing the toxicity and ultimately walking away, illustrating the struggle of maintaining relationships under public scrutiny.
Early Signs of Pain Masked as Love
During her in-depth conversation, Pugh explained how she initially believed that the pain she was enduring was an indicator of love. Without identifying the individual or the timeline of the relationship, she recalled,
“For a while I really thought that the amount that it was hurting was the same amount of love that there was in the relationship,”
before adding,
“’This hurts so much because we care, it hurts so much because we love each other so much.’ That’s just not how love should be treated.”
She pointed out that this misconception presented a dangerous pattern, as harmful behaviors began to seem normal over time. She elaborated,
“The danger with that is when things go wrong and there’s little micro-aggressions of tiny versions of whatever abuse it is, whether it’s verbal or emotional or manipulative, it kind of gets further and further away from what’s normal. So then you find yourself at the end going, ‘Oh, s—, a lot of weird stuff is happening. And I’ve normalized this.’”
Body’s Response and The Breakdown
Pugh revealed that her physical health dramatically reflected the distress she was experiencing before she could fully comprehend the emotional damage. She shared,
“When you are hurting your body — when you’re not sleeping or you’re drinking too much or you’ve got the s—s because you’re so anxious — that’s your body screaming at you,”
adding that she engaged in self-harm by injuring her hands during this time.
“I would injure myself. I’d be chopping and I’d like, chop huge chunks out of my hands. I’ve just never done that since. My body was just in full panic mode.”
Highlighting the paradox, Pugh said,
“I was injuring myself in order to look after myself, which is a funny thing of my body asking for help. It became increasingly obvious that something wasn’t right.”
Moving Toward Healing and Privacy
After leaving the damaging relationship, Pugh acknowledged she has since found a much healthier and happier place in life. Nevertheless, she revealed her intention to maintain greater secrecy regarding her current and future romantic involvements. Citing past harassment and toxic behavior from fans, she emphasized the importance of protecting her privacy as a public figure.
Reflecting on her experience with the public and the media, she stated,
“With relationships and with romance in this world, it doesn’t matter how much you speak on it or how little you speak on it, people don’t care,”
referring to her previous relationship with actor Zach Braff.
“They want a story. They sort of want a reality show.”
Challenges in Public Relationships and Online Bullying
Pugh dated Zach Braff, known for his work on Scrubs, from 2019 to 2022. Their relationship faced intense public scrutiny, largely linked to their significant age difference, as Braff is 21 years older. Pugh recalled dealing with
“an insane amount of abuse being hurled at my relationship just because there was an age gap.”
During their time together, Pugh addressed the hate directly, particularly after sharing a birthday tribute to Braff on Instagram in 2020. The post attracted numerous negative comments about their age difference. Responding firmly, Pugh said at the time,
“I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love, and I would never in my life ever tell anyone who they can and cannot love. It’s not your place, and really it has nothing to do with you.”
Years later, she reflected on her stance by telling Theroux,
“I’ll always defend people that I love, I will always stand up for them.”
She further explained her motivation for publicly confronting online hatred was to protect Braff, stating,
“It was just really horrible to see someone that you are with receiving that, and it was never at me, it was only at him,”
continuing,
“And I think I just needed to kind of just check everyone, and so I made a video and it got a lot of love and lots of people were supportive, which was great. I do think people online need to be reminded that we’re real.”
Continued Professional Partnership After Separation
Though Braff and Pugh ended their relationship quietly in 2022, they have maintained a friendly rapport. The year following their split, they collaborated professionally to promote the film A Good Person, which Braff directed and Pugh starred in.
Florence Pugh’s revelations provide insight into the complex dynamics of unhealthy relationships and the impact of public scrutiny on personal lives. Her story highlights the importance of recognizing signs of abuse, prioritizing mental and physical well-being, and resisting external pressures. As she moves forward, Pugh’s choice to safeguard her privacy underscores the challenges faced by celebrities balancing openness with protection.
