Florence Pugh and Zach Braff's Relationship Timeline

Florence Pugh and Zach Braff
Florence Pugh and Zach Braff
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Frazer Harrison/Getty / John Shearer/Getty Florence Pugh; Zach Braff

Florence Pugh and Zach Braff have gone their separate ways.

In her cover story for Harper's BAZAAR's September 2022 issue, the Don't Worry Darling actress revealed that she and Braff quietly broke up.

"We've been trying to do this separation without the world knowing, because it's been a relationship that everybody has an opinion on," said Pugh. "We just felt something like this would really do us the benefit of not having millions of people telling us how happy they are that we're not together. So we've done that."

After first connecting on social media, Braff and Pugh took their relationship offline when they worked together on the short film In the Time It Takes to Get There. While they never revealed just how they went from friends to something more, they were first spotted showing PDA during a trip to New York City in April 2019.

Although Braff and Pugh didn't publicly confirm their relationship until the end of that year, that didn't stop fans — and critics — from commenting on the romance. Pugh chose to face the haters head-on, posting that she was free to make her own choices when it came to her love life. Even though the couple has continued to face criticism throughout their relationship, that hasn't stopped them from being each other's biggest supporters.

RELATED: Florence Pugh Defends Her Relationship with Zach Braff: I Can 'Go Out with Anyone I Want To'

"Some people say that Florence Pugh is the greatest actress of her generation. I would say that she's one of the greatest actors working today, period. She's a phenomenon," Braff told The Hollywood Reporter.

Before calling it quits, Braff cast Pugh in A Good Person — a film he wrote and directed.

"​​Florence Pugh's performance in the movie, I know I'm biased, but it's the most miraculous thing you will ever see," he said during an interview with Collider.

Here's a look back at Florence Pugh and Zach Braff's relationship.

August 23, 2018: Zach Braff tweets Florence Pugh for the first time

Braff first interacted with Pugh on social media in August 2018 when he complimented her on her role in Lady Macbeth. "I watched an incredible film last night that I cannot stop thinking about: "Lady Macbeth" starring @Florence_Pugh. Beautifully directed, shot, acted etc. It's very upsetting, so be forewarned. Florence is a movie star," he wrote on Twitter.

It's not clear if the duo knew each other in real life at the time, but it didn't take long for the pair to begin regularly interacting in the form of liking each other's Instagram posts.

January 2019: Fans begin speculating that Zach Braff and Florence Pugh are dating

Several months after their first social media interaction, fans began to speculate that there was something going on between the duo when Braff made a trip to Pugh's hometown of Oxford, England. Although they weren't spotted together, Braff did post a photo to Instagram while in the city.

March 2019: Zach Braff and Florence Pugh film In the Time It Takes to Get There 

In March, Braff and Pugh got the chance to work together for the first time on their short film In the Time It Takes to Get There. Braff cast Pugh to star in the project, which he directed as part of a collaboration with Adobe. The company had previously challenged students to create a fictional movie poster using Adobe software, with one lucky winner having their poster inspire a film brought to life by Braff.

During filming, which took place over several days, Braff shared photos from the set, including one of Pugh sitting alone in an open field.

April 03, 2019: In the Time It Takes to Get There premieres on YouTube

Not long after filming, In the Time It Takes to Get There premiered on YouTube. Pugh shared her thoughts about the movie on Instagram, calling Braff a "fantastic" director.

"TADA! So.. adobe held a competition for college kids to design their own movie poster and the winning poster would then get MADE into a short film. After that it was up to the fantastic @zachbraff to choose one, write a script and ALSO direct the short. The poster that won was created by @_swest and inspired this entire fim😎 (pretty fecking cool)," Pugh wrote on Instagram.

April 12, 2019: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff are spotted holding hands in New York City

Zach Braff
Zach Braff

Splash News online Florence Pugh and Zach Braff

Just a few weeks after the film's premiere, Braff and Pugh were spotted showing some PDA during a trip to New York City. The rumored couple hadn't yet confirmed their relationship, but they were photographed holding hands while spending time together in the Big Apple.

October 9, 2019: Zach Braff hints at his relationship with Florence Pugh on social media

Pugh and Braff went quite a few months without sharing any details of their relationship, but in October, Braff seemingly hinted that the couple had big feelings for each other. In a photo shared to Braff's Instagram, Pugh could be seen posing alongside some of Braff's other friends.

"People I love," Braff simply captioned the photo.

November 7, 2019: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff make their Instagram debut during a day at Disneyland

The following month, Braff and Pugh shared their first photo together on Instagram during a trip to Disneyland with a group of friends. At the time, the duo still hadn't confirmed their relationship but Braff called the Disney outing an "epic day."

December 27, 2019: Florence Pugh responds to a critic of her and Zach Braff's age difference

In December, Pugh confirmed her relationship with Braff by way of a clapback directed at a hater. After Pugh shared a photo of herself in front of Greenblatt's Delicatessen Restaurant in Los Angeles, Braff commented on the post with a princess emoji.

The actor's comment prompted one of Pugh's followers to weigh in on the pair's age difference, writing, "You're 44 years old." Pugh, however, didn't hesitate to respond, adding, "And yet he got it 👌🏽."

January 15, 2020: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff celebrate her Oscar nomination

Florence Pugh, Zach Braff
Florence Pugh, Zach Braff

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The following month, Pugh learned that she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2020 Oscars for her performance in Little Women. Pugh celebrated the nomination during a press day in Los Angeles and afterward, toasted with Braff as well. She was spotted running into Braff's arms after the event and sharing a kiss before taking the celebrations elsewhere.

April 6, 2020: Florence Pugh writes a sweet birthday tribute for Zach Braff

Braff marked his 45th birthday on April 6, 2020, and Pugh commemorated the day with a post on Instagram. The actress shared a snap of Braff cozying up on a couch with his dog, writing that the duo were "celebrating hard."

"Today we shall smile wider than the clouds are grey. April 6th and we're celebrating hard!" she captioned the snapshot. "Happy Birthday wishes, boogies and cheers for this special person. Raise those bubbles and jiggle!"

Braff also shared a photo of Pugh wearing pink socks covered in photos of his face.

April 8, 2020: Florence Pugh claps back again at critics of the couple's age difference

Shortly after Pugh's birthday post for Braff, the actress once again addressed fans who were criticizing her and Braff's age difference. Pugh shared that after seeing "70 percent of the comments hurling abuse and being horrid," she decided she needed to speak out. In a video posted to her Instagram, she told viewers she "tries to be positive and tries to make people smile" and will not allow toxic behavior on her page.

"I am 24 years old. I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love and I would never in my life tell anyone who they can and cannot love. It is not your place," Pugh said, adding that if anyone has a problem with it they can unfollow her.

She continued, "The abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you are throwing at me, and I don't want those followers. I do not want to have to be protecting my comments every time I post a picture of him. I really hope that I can continue this relationship with a lot of you."

April 9, 2020: Zach Braff and Florence Pugh adopt a dog together

A day later, Braff and Pugh announced they had adopted the dog they had been fostering together. Braff shared a photo of the pup named Billie and said they had fallen in love with him.

"Officially adopted, Billie. Thanks to the @thelabellefoundation. We tried to foster, but then we fell in love. #fosterfail #adoptdontshop," he wrote.

May 6, 2020: Florence Pugh defends her relationship with Zach Braff

After her social media response to the couple's relationship critics, Pugh expressed that she was over hearing people's "hate and opinions" when it came to her personal life. In an interview with Elle UK, Pugh said that she had "the right to hang out and be with and go out with anyone" she wanted to, regardless of the public's thoughts.

"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. 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?" she said.

May 2020: Florence Pugh opens up about quarantining with Zach Braff

florence-plugh
florence-plugh

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Florence Pugh and Zach Braff

Several months into quarantining together during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pugh opened up about some of the couple's weekly routines during an appearance on the Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware podcast. She explained that they tried to limit their takeout orders to once a week, which served as their "special date night."

RELATED: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff Make Homemade Pasta for Fun Date Night: 'New Level to Quarantine'

As for the rest of their meals, Pugh said they were working on a garden where they were "growing lovely leaves and lovely elephant garlics" — although they did need to make the occasional trip to the supermarket. Later in quarantine, Pugh and Braff even shared a step-by-step look at how they made homemade pasta for dinner.

July 2020: Florence Pugh says scrutiny over her relationship with Zach Braff makes her "feel like s—"

After speaking out about her relationship on numerous occasions, Pugh got candid about how the criticism was affecting her. She explained that after posting her Instagram video response, where she revealed that the comments about her and Braff upset her, she felt "s— for a while" for admitting that the naysayers got to her.

"And then I thought how ridiculous is that? 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. So, who are you trying to match me up with?" Pugh said on the Sue Perkins: An hour or so with... podcast.

She added, "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. Yet again, once again, it's making a young woman feel like s— for no reason."

November 9, 2020: Zach Braff comments on Florence Pugh's defense of their relationship

In November, Braff spoke out about the criticism of his relationship with Pugh for the first time. When asked about Pugh's decision to post a video defending the duo, he explained why he chose to stay silent.

"She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that. I thought: how could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that? So, I chose not to," Braff explained.

January 3, 2021: Zach Braff pens a birthday message for Florence Pugh

Braff celebrated Pugh's 25th birthday on Jan. 3, 2021, sharing a series of photos from their adventures together and penning a heartfelt caption.

"Happy Birthday to the most fun person I've ever met. I would have felt blessed to have smiled with your [sic] for one night. I can't believe I get to giggle with you everyday. What a pleasure it is to know you. What a gift to the world it was that you were born," Braff wrote.

March 2021: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff spark marriage speculation

Two years into the couple's relationship, rumors surfaced that Braff and Pugh had secretly tied the knot. Speculation began when a friend referred to Pugh as "FPB" in a social media post, leading fans to believe the "B" in Pugh's initials stood for Braff. Although the friend later removed the extra letter and claimed the pair were not married, the rumors persisted when Braff was later spotted with a band on his left ring finger.

April 6, 2021: Florence Pugh celebrates Zach Braff's 46th birthday with a touching note

While the couple didn't comment on the marriage speculation, Pugh did pen a sweet note in honor of Braff's 46th birthday on April 6. 2021. On Instagram, she shared photos of Braff cuddling with their dog Billie as well as a snap of him wearing a fuzzy matching set.

"It's this magical persons birthday...His need to make people laugh and smile is never ending, his constant generosity and love for others is infectious, his creativity and ability to put real and honest words onto the page inspires many and all who's around him, but above all.. his appreciation for life and excitement for LIVING is something I always take note of. Happy Birthday chicken," Pugh wrote.

The couple later headed to the beach to continue the birthday celebrations.

July 2021: Florence Pugh says Zach Braff isn't who people expected her to date

In July 2021, Pugh opened up about still dealing with criticism surrounding their relationship, explaining that she believed it "bugs people" because Braff is "not who they expected" her to date. Instead, she thought fans would prefer to see her with someone like her Little Women costar Timothée Chalamet.

"But it's my life and I'm not doing anything to please people or to make it a better headline or story. I want to also be a person!" Pugh added.

July 8, 2021: Zach Braff celebrates the premiere of Florence Pugh's film Black Widow

Following the release of Pugh's film Black Widow, Braff celebrated his girlfriend's accomplishment by commissioning a painting of her in character. Braff recruited the help of comic book artist Phil Noto for the project, which he actually gifted to her on her birthday earlier in the year.

"Go see 'Black Widow' this weekend and watch @florencepugh save the world! I commissioned this painting from the legendary painter and comic book artist @philnoto," Braff wrote, adding that the Russian text on the painting says "Widow."

January 3, 2022: Zach Braff writes a birthday note for Florence Pugh

Braff kept it simple with his social media birthday wishes for Pugh in January. On his Instagram story, he shared a photo of Pugh resting at the edge of a swimming pool with a sweet message.

"Happy birthday to this beautiful human being. I am so lucky to know you. And the world is so lucky they get to witness your incredible talent," Braff wrote.

March 18, 2022: Zach Braff calls Florence Pugh one of "the best actresses working" today

Braff shared his thoughts about Pugh's acting career while talking about her role in A Good Person during an interview with Collider.

"Florence Pugh's performance in the movie, I know I'm biased, but it's the most miraculous thing you will ever see. I'm not overselling it … I know that anything Florence does is incredible. People say she's maybe the best actress of her generation. I think she's one of the best actresses working. This performance she gives is unbelievable," Braff shared.

May 2022: Florence Pugh shuts down rumors that she's dating Will Poulter

Pugh and Braff found themselves facing breakup rumors after photos surfaced of Pugh on a trip to Ibiza, Spain with a group of friends including her Midsommar costar Will Poulter. In the snaps, Pugh and Poulter could be seen enjoying time on the beach, which led to some outlets suggesting the duo were in a new relationship. Upon hearing about the headlines, Pugh shut down the rumors on her Instagram story, explaining that she was just friends with Poulter.

RELATED: Florence Pugh Clarifies She and Will Poulter Are 'Not Dating': But 'Thanks for Saying We Look Sexy'

"No, Will Poulter and I are not dating. We went to the beach with our friends, who are always about half a metre away from us in every picture, but have been cleverly cut out/ framed out so that it looks otherwise," she wrote. "You can LITERALLY see my best friend in the corner of so many shots and Archie's arms at the sides."

Pugh went on to say that while she understands that as a public figure her privacy is sometimes violated, "fabricating" stories "does more damage than good." She added that Poulter is one of her "best mates" and although fans complimented the duo on looking sexy, it "doesn't mean we're doing the sexy."

"Regardless of your opinion on who I should or shouldn't be with, at the end of the day if you're complimenting someone by trolling another person.. you're just bullying. There's literally no need to be horrible online– no need. Think about what you write. Think about who it affects," Pugh concluded.

August 16, 2022: Florence Pugh reveals that she and Zach Braff broke up

In her cover story for Harper's BAZAAR's September 2022 issue, Pugh revealed that she and Braff quietly went their separate ways, hoping to keep the split under wraps to avoid commentary from strangers online.

"We've been trying to do this separation without the world knowing, because it's been a relationship that everybody has an opinion on," said Pugh. "We just felt something like this would really do us the benefit of not having millions of people telling us how happy they are that we're not together. So we've done that."

"I automatically get a lumpy throat when I talk about it," she added.

October 29, 2022: Florence Pugh shares that Zach Braff taught her an important lesson about fame

During an interview on the podcast This Cultural Life, Pugh shared that Braff instructed her not to read the commentary about their relationship — or her career — online.

"Inevitably you're going to find something that hurts you. So, sadly, it's the hardest thing to do but you can't engage. You can't look," Pugh said. "I don't think that people, just because they have this job, that every aspect of their life should be watched and written about. We haven't signed up for a reality TV show."

November 10, 2022: Florence Pugh jokes about "bidding" on a Zoom call with Zach Braff

Braff shared a screenshot of him and Donald Faison to promote an eBay auction supporting wounded veterans. "Bid on eBay for a 30 minute Zoom with @donald_aison and me," the actor wrote in the caption. "ALL proceeds go to build specially-designed homes for severely wounded veterans via Homes For Our Troops. LINK IN BIO!!!!!!"

Pugh commented on the post, writing, "Im deffo bidding on this." Braff responded minutes later with, "@florencepugh I'm certain you could get this for free, but it is a very good cause for veterans…."

Another Instagram user acknowledged their playful banter, writing, "@zachbraff 10 points gryffindor on how you're flirting with @florencepugh here," along with a thumbs-up emoji. In a since-deleted comment, Braff simply responded: "😐."

December 15, 2022: Florence Pugh promotes first trailer of A Good Person

Written and directed by Braff and starring Pugh, A Good Person is slated to premiere in March 2023.

Pugh shared the film's first trailer on Instagram and wrote: "Here she is. First trailer to A Good Person is FINALLY HERE. This is the first time I've had the pleasure and the privilege of watching how the art is made from the very beginning to the very end. I am so proud of this creation, I'm so grateful to all those who jumped on board this crazy journey with us."

January 3, 2023: Zach Braff calls Florence Pugh a "legend"

On her 27th birthday, Braff penned a sweet note to Pugh on his Instagram Story.

"Happy Birthday, Legend," he captioned a photo of the actress sitting above the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.

January 12, 2023: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff open up about their relationship

Both Pugh and Braff spoke about their relationship for a Vogue cover story, with the Don't Worry Darling actress explaining why "people didn't like" them together.

"They imagined me with someone younger and someone in blockbusters," she said. "I think young relationships in Hollywood are so easily twisted because they add to the gossip sites. It's exciting to watch. And I think I was in a relationship that didn't do any of that."

Meanwhile, Braff praised his ex-girlfriend, saying, "I quite simply think she's one of the greatest actors of her generation," the Garden State actor and director said. "She's just magnetic. You cannot take your eyes off of her."

"And it's not just her beauty and it's not just her acting ability, it's that thing, that magic thing that transcends the screen, where anyone and everyone goes: I want to see whatever this person does," he added.

March 8, 2023: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff attend U.K. premiere of A Good Person

The exes didn't shy away from posing for photos together on the red carpet at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. Pugh wowed in a cropped blouse and high-waisted pants, while Braff looked handsome in a plaid suit.

March 18, 2023: Zach Braff enjoys dinner with Florence Pugh's family in New York City

Braff met up with the Don't Worry Darling star's parents and grandmother for dinner in the Big Apple. The director spent most of the day with Pugh, who wasn't pictured, promoting their film A Good Person.