She just wanted to wish Braff, 45, best known for playing J.D. in Scrubs, on his birthday when haters started bullying them online.
There have been many couples in Hollywood and in real life who fell in love despite a huge age gap. Whether it was an older man and younger woman, or an older woman and younger man. We can't help who we fall in love with. When we fall for someone, it is simply an organic process that happens despite age, race, color, or anything else. So, when others try to shame someone for the person they have fallen for they might be putting their nose where it doesn't belong.
Little Women actress Florence Pugh, 24, recently uploaded a post on Instagram to wish her boyfriend, Zach Braff, 45, best known for playing the role of J.D. on Scrubs between 2001 and 2010, on his birthday. What happened after upset the actress, who will also be seen in Black Widow soon. The adult and independent woman had to defend her relationship to strangers when it is a personal matter entirely.
She was forced to take a stand after online trolls bullied her and Braff about their age gap, according to Vogue. Trouble began when she uploaded a photo of the Garden State actor with their foster dog, Billie, on Instagram. On April 6, she wrote, "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!"
After she posted the photo, she started getting hate comments based on their age gap. So, she decided to clap back with a video. "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, she said, "It is the first time in my entire Instagram life that I’ve had to turn off the comments on my page. I have only been an Instagram that tries to bring some light and tries to be positive and tries to make people smile."
"Within about eight minutes of the photo being posted, I had about 70 percent of the comments hurling abuse and being horrid and basically bullying someone on my page. 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.”
She emphasized her age again, saying, "I’m 24 years old” according to USAToday. “I have been working since I was 17 years old. I’ve 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. I’ll underline this fact: I am 24 years old.”
She gave those who didn't agree with her a way out. "Please unfollow me," she said. "Because the abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you're throwing at me. And I don't want those followers." She concluded the video saying she hopes that social media could still be used as a place for positive connection.
This is not the first time, she had to defend her relationship with the Wish I Were Here actor. Previously, on social media, there was another incident where online haters had criticized Braff for dating someone so much younger. In December 2019, she had posted a photo of herself and Braff commented on the photo with the princess emoji — to which one of her followers replied, "you're 44 years old." Pugh responded with, "and yet he got it," according to Insider.com.
The actors have reportedly been dating since April 2019 and were photographed holding hands in New York City. They also attended the LA premiere of Marriage Story in November and the world premiere of the film Little Women, which got Pugh an Oscar nomination, in early December, but they arrived separately.
References:
https://www.vogue.com/article/florence-pugh-responds-instagram-bullying-zach-braff-birthday-post
https://www.insider.com/florence-pugh-zach-braff-age-gap-instagram-comment-response-2019-12
