In 2020, Florence Pugh had a breakout year, and she’s just continued to build on her success. With upcoming parts in Don’t Worry Darling and the Dune sequel, Pugh has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about young stars following her breakthrough performances in Midsommar and Little Women (for which she received an Oscar nomination) and her performance as Yelena Belova in Black Widow. Less well-known are the specifics of the actress’s personal life, especially the over two years she dated Scrubs star Zach Braff, who is 21 years her senior. They were a serious couple who adopted a dog during quarantine, but Pugh disclosed in September 2022 that they had secretly broken up months earlier.
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Everything that has been uncovered regarding their relationship is detailed below.
August of 2018
Around this time last year, Braff started favoriting Pugh’s Instagram posts. As a sign of their budding romance, this may have occurred around the time he cast her in his 2019 short film In The Time It Takes to Get There.
March 2019
The Secret Ingredients of Rocket Cola reportedly has Braff and Pugh in its sights. However, the project’s title can no longer be located on either Braff’s or Pugh’s IMDb sites, despite the fact that both were originally attached to direct.
April 2019
The book In the Time It Takes to Get It is due out at the start of April. Pugh portrays a 19th-century figure of influence in the Adobe Cloud project based on the winning design in a design contest. The young mogul also employs Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), with whom she stars in the film. Pugh and Braff were allegedly seen holding hands and taking a stroll through New York City on April 12. The two started dating after Braff ended his five-year relationship with model Taylor Bagley in 2014.
June 2019
Toby Sebastian, a musician, and actor on Game of Thrones is the older brother of Pugh, and Braff posted a photo of the two of them together. He posted a photo of the couple raising a glass of wine to the camera with “#cheers #.”
This better be hanging over the fireplace: Check out the painting Zach Braff commissioned of girlfriend Florence Pugh as her ‘Black Widow’ character. https://t.co/3NxGBIu3ai
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) July 9, 2021
October 2019
Pugh’s first post on Braff’s stream was accompanied by a lot of emotion. A picture of her with the text “People I love” is included. A remark from Emmy winner Julia Garner read: “I love @florencepugh too!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️” The duo was photographed by Page Six that same month while out shopping at Whole Foods in Hollywood. I think everyone can see that they’re a couple,” an insider told the publication.
November (2019)
It wasn’t until the following month that they were officially introduced as a couple on Instagram. The two were spotted in a group at Disneyland in Braff’s post. Pugh and Braff both attended the Los Angeles premiere of Marriage Story on November 5, however, they weren’t caught on camera holding hands.
2019 December
As usual, Braff and Pugh did not make a combined red carpet presence at the New York City premiere of her film Little Women. Pugh gave the world confirmation of their connection and a retort on the 28th, two days after Christmas. She posted a photo of herself posing in front of an L.A. deli, “First pit-stop, Matzo Ball soup. #curingjetlag101.” Princess emoji was Braff’s reply to the photo. In response to Braff’s emoji, a commenter merely said, “You’re 44 years old.” Pugh, all of 23 at the time, said, “and yet he got it.”
January of 2020
It was reported by People on January 11 that the two were seen leaving date at the exclusive Los Angeles club San Vicente Bungalows. Pugh was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2020 Academy Awards a few days later. Braff seems to have significant involvement that day. She shared two pictures of herself on social media, both of which show her in bed and apparently naked after hearing the news of her nomination. (Many people have put Braff as the photographer.) After Pugh got her hair and cosmetics done that day, Braff posted a snapshot of her to his Instagram Story with the description, “Holy shit!”
February of 2020
On February 9, Pugh and both of her parents went to the Academy Awards to celebrate her success. (There will be no joint red carpet appearance this time!) However, Braff recorded the actress’s pre-awards show routine for Instagram Stories.
March 2020
During the Los Angeles coronavirus outbreak, the couple was observed by onlookers taking extra safety measures while out for a stroll. When Braff and Pugh go to the store, they both wear gloves. The publication claims that Pugh rode on the back of Braff’s motorcycle to the shop. Fake Doctors, Real Friends With Zach + Donald is a weekly recap podcast that Braff and his former Scrubs co-star Donald Faison said they will create on Instagram a few days later. “WOOOOOOO!!!!
April 2020
During their time in coronavirus quarantine, fans saw Pugh and Braff seemingly caring for a dog together. Both of them took to social media on April 2 to talk about a foster puppy named Billie, giving thanks to the Los Angeles-based animal rescue group Labelle Foundation. On April 9, Braff shared on his website the news that he and Pugh had adopted Billie. Pugh made their Instagram relationship official on Braff’s birthday. Since the two of them started dating, she hasn’t posted a photo of him alone on her Instagram. She wrote, “Today we shall smile wider than the clouds are grey,” as the caption to her photo of the two of them. It’s April 6th, and we’re partying like it’s 1999! Sending birthday boogies and cheers to this wonderful someone on their special day. Bring up the confetti and start shaking your groove thing!
Right after making their relationship Instagram official, Pugh posted a four-minute video explaining her choice in Braff. I’m 24, she proudly announced. I don’t want you to tell me who I should or shouldn’t be romantically interested in. To add insult to injury, I will never, ever, ever, ever tell another person who they may and cannot love. Not your business. The situation is unrelated to you, anyway. The same insults you hurl at him are insults you hurl at me, therefore if you don’t like the rules I set, then you should stop following me.
Instagram is the source for this material. You can check out their site to see if they offer the same material in a different format, or if they have any more details to share with you. One of the famous people that agreed with Pugh’s stance was Ariana Grande. A fresh tattoo on my chest: “being hateful is not stylish.” “Oh, I adore and appreciate you so much,” Grande wrote in response. The video was also posted to her Instagram Story, where she praised it as “beautifully stated and truly appreciated.” Intense emotional distress might result from posting online about the unique and personal joys in one’s life. I’ve had to pull back for the sake of my loved ones and myself, but I had to tell you how well you said this and how much I appreciate you.
May 2020
Pugh addressed the age gap and their relationship in an interview with ELLE UK the following month. She called responding to the trolls and defending her relationship “essential,” adding, “because people need to recognize that it’s cruel. I can hang out with anybody I want and go out with whomever I want. Pugh also spoke about the idea that curiosity about her private life should be encouraged. She told the media, “I’m an actor because I like performing, and I don’t mind people viewing my stuff, but people have no right to educate me on my private life.”
It’s weird that regular people are free to show such hatred and thoughts on a portion of my life that I’m not making public, but I guess that’s just part of being in the spotlight. It’s an odd aspect of celebrity that you may be dissected by thousands of people even if you didn’t volunteer that information about yourself. When asked to elaborate on her point, she said, “I don’t want to talk about it because it’s not something I want to promote, but my point to all this is that isn’t it bizarre that a stranger can absolutely rip up someone’s relationship, and it’s allowed?”
September of 2020
On September 17, Pugh celebrated the birthday of late Broadway star Nick Cordero. Cordero, a close friend of Braff’s, passed away in July due to complications from COVID-19. She showed Cordero several images of herself, including one of her and Braff sharing a couch hug. “So. She started her eulogy by saying, “Today, this incredible man turns 42. As Nick put it, “he had this big open smile that made you fall in love with him even if he hadn’t spoken it yet.” Pugh concluded her post by saying, “Happy Fucking Birthday darling, we shall have a mighty cheese board with all the chutneys and relishes in your honor.” She continued, “I would find Zach and Nick cuddling on the sofa at the end of so many parties, it looked so comfortable it would be hard not to join.”
N0vember 2020
Braff avoided answering questions about his romantic life with Pugh when interviewed by Mr. Porter. But he did Instagram about how she defended him. ‘She sat down, put her phone on record, and said that,’ he recalled. “I wondered, “How could I possibly follow anything as witty and well-spoken as that?” That’s why I didn’t do it.
January of 2021
21It being the first of the year, so Braff paid Pugh a rare Instagram tribute. He posted numerous pictures of Pugh with the caption, “Happy Birthday to the most hilarious guy I’ve ever met. If I could have shared even one night of your laughter, I would consider it a blessing. It’s unbelievable that you’re a part of my daily life and that we get to have fun together. It’s a delight to have you in my life. Having you in this world is a blessing.
April 2021
Pugh posted a touching birthday message to Braff on Instagram. More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, the post provided an intimate glimpse into their relationship.
May 2021
Pugh addressed the criticism she receives for dating an actor 21 years younger than her in the June issue of ELLE UK. She told the magazine, “I have the right to hang out with, be with, and go out with whoever I choose.” This aspect of human behavior has always struck me as odd. I’m an actress because I enjoy performing; yet, no one has the right to lecture me on the inner workings of my personal life.
June 2021
Pugh shared her thoughts on her detractors with The Sunday Times in an interview the publication. I think it bothers people that it’s not who they expected,” she stated. But this is my life, and I refuse to alter it to fit anyone’s expectations or to make for a more interesting headline or article. It’s important to me to be a human being, too!
Her explanation continued:
She spoke out against the trolls, saying, “It’s so bizarre to me to go on to someone’s page and trash on it.” To go out of my way to pick on someone just to pick on them is not in my character. It’s strange that after 10 years of social media, we’ve grown accustomed to it. People want Instagram to be a good place because they want to see pleasant content there. The two most important things to people are inspiration and joy. It’s okay if you don’t like me; I can take it. If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t be following me.
July 2021
Braff posted a photo of a special gift he gave Pugh in recognition of her role as Natasha Romanoff’s younger sister Yelena Belova on Instagram after the premiere of Black Widow. Check out “Black Widow” this weekend to see @florencepugh save the world. Braff wrote in the caption, “This artwork by the great painter and comic book artist @philnoto (Widow in Russian) was a commission.” Yelena, presumably the new Black Widow, poses for a unique painting while decked up in her signature vest and armed to the teeth.
January 2022
On January 3, Braff uploaded a touching Instagram Story in honor of Pugh’s 26th birthday, giving fans an intimate glimpse into their relationship and his unabashed adoration for her. Wishing this stunning human a very happy birthday! Thank goodness we are friends. And it’s a blessing for everyone that you get to share your tremendous skill with the world.”
April 2022
Pugh uploaded an Instagram Story in honor of Braff’s 47th birthday. She wished Braff a happy birthday and included three images of him and their dog, all of which were published on Page Six.
September 2022
Harper’s Bazaar published an interview with Pugh in which she discussed the discreet breakup she and Braff had earlier in 2022. She did not specify when their relationship had ended, but she did explain why they had kept the news to themselves. Because “it’s been a relationship that everybody has an opinion on,” Pugh said, “we’ve been attempting to accomplish this separation without the world knowing.” We thought this would be good for us so we wouldn’t have to hear from a million people about how relieved they are that we’re not together. Now we’ve finished that. When I try to talk about it, my throat gets lumpy.