Zach Braff Praises Florence Pugh’s ‘Intelligent And Articulate’ Way Of Handling Criticism About Their Relationship

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Zach Braff and Florence Pugh’s relationship isn’t really anyone’s business but theirs – but some people think they have the right to criticize their relationship, particularly their 21-year age difference.

Florence has previously responded to the critics who were “hurling abuse and being horrid and basically bullying someone on my page” after she posted a photo of Zach to celebrate his birthday in April.

“I would never in my life — ever, ever — tell anyone who they can or cannot love. It is not your place. And really, it has nothing to do with you,” she said, in part, during the almost-four-minute long video . “The abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you’re throwing at me.”

For the most part, Zach has pretty much stayed silent on the issue. But during an interview with Mr. Porter, the 45-year-old actor praised his girlfriend for the way she handled the criticism about their relationship.

“She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that,” Zach said, referring to Flo’s Instagram post in April. “I thought, ‘How could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that?’ So, I chose not to.”

It’s not the first time Flo has spoken out against the critics of their relationship. In her interview with Elle UK’s June issue, she says she has no problem with publicly defending her relationship “because people need to realize that it’s hurtful.” She added that she has “the right to hang out and be with and go out with anyone I want to.”

“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,” Florence continues. “I know that part of being in the spotlight is that people might invade your privacy and have opinions on it, but it’s bizarre that normal folk are allowed to display such hate and opinions on a part of my life that I’m not putting out there. 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.”

In another interview, months after her IG video, she remarked on the “weird” phenomenon where people think they “have a say” over actors’ private lives.

“I’ve always found it funny, how I can be good enough for people to watch my work, and support my work, and pay for tickets, and I’m old enough to be an adult and pay taxes, but I’m not old enough to know who I should and should not have sex with,” Flo said during an appearance on Sue Perkins: An Hour or So With.

“Once again, [it’s] making a young woman feel like s–t for no reason. I think I did feel s–t for awhile about admitting that, and then I thought, ‘How ridiculous is that?’” she continued.

“I’m 24 and I can’t choose who I love… There’s a reason why I’m not with someone my age — it hasn’t worked,” the actress added. “So who are you trying to match me up with?”

“The fact is I’m not a reality TV star, I don’t let people into my life like that,” she went on. “Since when has it been OK for people to shout at someone for their relationship? It’s crazy to me.”