Celebrity1 min(s) read
Published 14:25 07 May 2020 GMT
Actress Florence Pugh has taken aim at trolls who target the age difference between her and her boyfriend, Zach Braff.
The 24-year-old Little Women star told Elle UK in an exclusive interview that she thinks it's bizarre that the public get to display "hate and opinions" on her relationship with 45-year-old Braff.
"[It's] a strange side of fame that you’re allowed to be torn apart by thousands of people even though you didn’t put that piece of you out there," Pugh told the publication, conceding that while she understands that fame comes with certain losses of privacy, she maintains that she has "the right to hang out and be with and go out with anyone I want to."
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"I’ve always found this part of what people do really bizarre. I’m an actor because I like acting and I don’t mind people watching my stuff, but people have no right to educate me on my private life," she continued. "My point to all this is that isn’t it odd that a stranger can totally tear apart someone’s relationship and it’s allowed?”
This is not the first time that the actress has addressed her relationship with Braff, and the trolling it has received online.
Last month, she took to Instagram to share a lengthy video, in which she called for the end of the "horrid hurling abuse" the couple has continued to receive.
In the near-4-minute video, Pugh says:
"On Monday I posted a photo in honor of Zach's birthday, and I wrote a birthday message for him.
"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."
"It is the first time in my entire Instagram life that I've had to turn off the comments on my page, I have never been an Instagram page that encourages that, I have never been an Instagram page that likes that toxic vibe.
"I have only been an Instagram page that tries to bring some light and tries to be positive, and tries to make people smile."
You can check out Pugh's passionate address in the video below:
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The Little Women star added that she "will not allow that behavior", saying: "It makes me upset, it makes me sad that during this time when we really all need to be together, we need to be supporting one another.
"We need to be loving one another, the world is aching and the world is dying and a few of you have decided to bully for no reason.
"I'm 24 years old, I have been working since I was 17 years old, I have 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 underline this fact, I am 24 years old.
"I do not need you 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."
Pugh then instructed anyone who wished to leave a negative comment to unfollow her, before going on to slam bullies. She said:
"It's embarrassing, it's sad, and I don't know when cyber-bullying became trendy.
"I don't know when it became a point system, I don't know why it's a cool thing, and that's never been what my page has been about.
"So, here's to you guys, and I hope that we can keep on being positive, and to those who do not agree with anything that I have just said I kindly ask that you unfollow me because that is not my page. Be safe, try and be positive during all of this, and I'll see you soon."
