British actress Florence Pugh has revealed why she now keeps her romantic life out of the spotlight, stating that the intense backlash surrounding her former relationship with actor and director Zach Braff prompted her to retreat from public discussions of her personal affairs.
In a candid new interview with Porter magazine for its November/December 2025 issue, the 28-year-old Oppenheimer star said she 'learned the hard way' how social media intrusion can corrode genuine relationships.
'People felt entitled to tell me how I should live and who I should love,' she said. 'That experience made me want to keep things sacred.'
'I Realised It Wasn't Worth It'
Pugh explained that the constant online attention became overwhelming. 'I realised that opening the door just a crack meant everyone felt they could walk in,' she said. 'It wasn't worth the anxiety.'
She and Braff, now 49, dated for several years after meeting on the short film In the Time It Takes to Get There (2019). Their relationship, which ended amicably in 2022, often made headlines due to their two-decade age gap — a topic Pugh says became invasive.
'It became overwhelming,' she admitted. 'I didn't sign up for that kind of commentary.'
Choosing privacy, she added, has brought peace. 'I'm proud of who I am and who I care about,' she said. 'But I don't owe the world an explanation every time I fall in love.'
Refocusing on Work and Wellbeing
Now one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses, Pugh says she pours her energy into storytelling rather than public speculation. 'I put all that energy into my work instead,' she told Porter. 'That's where I find fulfilment.'
She also criticised how fame distorts public perception. 'People forget you're human,' she said. 'They think because they see you on screen, they own a piece of you.'
Despite renewed curiosity about her private life after recent red-carpet appearances, Pugh says she intends to keep firm boundaries. 'I want to keep the parts of my life that are just mine,' she said. 'That's the only way to stay sane in this industry.'
For Pugh, the lesson is clear: her work belongs to the public, but her heart no longer does.
A Relationship Under Scrutiny
Pugh had previously addressed the criticism directly. In a 2020 Instagram video, she told followers she was an adult capable of making her own choices, asking people to stop being 'horrid' to someone she cared about.
The couple separated quietly in early 2022, with Pugh later describing the breakup as 'amicable and respectful.' They reunited professionally the following year for Braff's drama A Good Person (2023), which he wrote, directed, and in which Pugh starred. At the time, she told Vogue that they had 'handled things quietly' and 'always been good to each other.'
While both have since moved on, Pugh acknowledged that the experience changed her perspective on fame. 'You start to feel like you're being watched all the time,' she said. 'And that's not sustainable.'
