Florence Pugh isn’t afraid to fight for those she loves.
The Don’t Worry Darling star shared how the constant conversation surrounding her three-year relationship with ex Zach Braff—with whom she parted ways in 2022—has left a lasting impact on her life.
“With relationships and with romance in this world, it doesn't matter how much you speak on it or how little you speak on it,” Florence said on the Nov. 11 episode of The Louis Theroux podcast. “People don't care. They want a story. They sort of want a reality show. So, it doesn't really matter how much you say you love someone or how much they make you happy. If they don't like them and it doesn't fit that image that they want of you, they don't care. I think that hurt me.”
Florence felt the need to publicly defend her relationship with the Scrubs alum, after facing backlash for their 21-year age gap.
“I stood up for it and I stood up for him and I stood up for me just being allowed to do whatever the f--k I wanted to do,” Florence said. “That did actually change a few people's minds. I actually had a few people in the public eye reach out to me and say, ‘I didn't think of it like that. And thank you for saying that.’”
As for whether the 29-year-old plans to share as much of her private relationships with the public as she did with Zach, she confirmed, “Not anymore."
Indeed, the comments got so bad, Florence had to take matters into her own hands and addressed the “abuse” towards her relationship in a 2020 Instagram video.
“It got to the point where it was just really horrible to see someone that you are with receiving that,”she said of making the video to Louis. “It was never at me, it was only at him. I think I just needed to kind of just check everyone and so I made a video. And it got a lot of love and lots of people were supportive, which was great. And I think people online need to be reminded that we're real.”
After splitting with Zach, 50, in 2022, Florence has shifted her perspective when it comes to sharing her personal life.
“People will probably want to know a little bit more,” she shared on the podcast. “I think you have to just ask yourself, the more you expose, the more you're allowing people to have comment on it. If they don't know, they can't really make comment on it.”
“I think I'll always defend people that I love. I will always stand up for them,” she added. “I'll always make sure that if there needs to be a reset and there needs to be a bit of a smack on the wrist, I will do that because it's not fair that so much of your life gets to have jabs.”
Ultimately, the best way for Florence to avoid repeating the cycle of outside noise in her relationship is to monitor what she shares with the world, especially on social media.
“You have to also remind yourself that you're letting them in,” Florence said. “And you have to check yourself and also check the way that people are talking about you or talking at you or talking about your life. And then also you have to ask yourself if it's necessary.”
“If I am exposing that part of my life and people are saying nasty things,” she added. “OK, well, the one thing I can do is stop talking about that part of my life.”
For more stars who have talked about their age gap relationships, keep reading…
Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor
The practice of ignoring what people say about their 32-year age gap is nothing new for the actresses.
"If someone wants to spend any time thinking I'm strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that's their problem," Sarah told Modern Luxury in 2018 while discussing her relationship with Holland. "I'm doing just fine."
Heidi Klum & Tom Kaulitz
As for the former Project Runway host, she simply says auf wiedersehen to any negative comments about her 16-year age gap with the Tokio Hotel guitarist.
"My boyfriend is many years younger than me, and lots of people are questioning that and asking about it," she shared with InStyle in 2018. "That's really the only time when age seems to be shoved in my face and I have to give an answer for it. I don't really think about it that much otherwise."
And Heidi—who married Tom the following year—made it clear she's going to continue living life on her terms.
"You have to just live a happy life without worrying too much about what people think," the supermodel continued, "because worrying is only going to give you more wrinkles."
Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas
Meanwhile, the Quantico star has called out a double standard.
While she noted people have a lot to say about her being 10 years old than the Jonas Brother singer, she suggested this wouldn't be the case if it were the other way around.
"People gave us a lot of s--t about that and still do," Priyanka told InStyle. "I find it really amazing when you flip it and the guy is older, no one cares and actually people like it."
Sam Taylor-Johnson & Aaron Taylor-Johnson
And if you'd ask the Fifty Shades of Grey director, she'd say her 23-year age difference with the Kraven the Hunter actor just doesn't come up in their day-to-day.
“No, it never does," she said in a 2024 interview with The Guardian. "I mean, it’s coming up now because you’re asking. And it comes up on the outside perspective of people who don’t know us, because I guess people will always...We’re a bit of an anomaly, but it’s that thing: After 14 years you just think, surely by now it doesn’t really matter?”
Sam even pointed out her relationship with Aaron has lasted longer than her marriage to her ex-husband Jay Jopling, who is about four years older than she is.
"So, if you think of it in that way," she continued, "then the age gap doesn’t really make any difference.”
Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones
Though the couple share a birthday (Sept. 25), they aren't on the same page...of the calendar.
"My husband is 25 years older than me; that’s not a secret," the Chicago star told WSJ. Magazine in 2021. "With any relationship, it wouldn’t be normal if there weren’t any ups and downs. The constant is love and respect."
Dennis Quaid & Laura Savoie
The Parent Trap alum may argue that the only ones who should be focused on his relationship with the Bonniedale Films cofounder is them. T-H-E-M, them. Get the picture?
Still, Dennis indicated he and Laura are unfazed by any attention around her being 39 years younger.
"We just don't even notice it," he told Today in 2021 about their age difference. "We've never related to someone in my life better than we do. We have such a great relationship. And love finds a way, wherever it is. And you never know, when love is coming, who that's going to be. And you have no control over it. And we just couldn't be happier."
Hilaria Baldwin & Alec Baldwin
The yoga instructor has admitted she used to judge couples with big age gaps before her relationship with the actor, who is 26 years her senior.
"Alec and I are on all the lists of 'Celebrities with the Biggest Age Differences' and stuff like that," she explained on her podcast Witches Anonymous in 2022. "And I would look at it and be like, 'This older man wants some young bimbo with no opinions whatsoever. And then that younger woman is obviously a gold digger, and she obviously doesn't even care and is just like OK, whatever, I hope you die and I'm gonna take all your money.'"
However, she's since had a change of heart.
"Now that I'm in that relationship and people will say those things about me regularly, I'm like, 'Oh my God, why was this trained into my head? Why was I so judgmental about other people who are literally just finding love?'" she added. "And maybe their love looks different from you, and from your love, or from what I thought love would be, but it doesn't make it not valid."
Felicity Blunt & Stanley Tucci
Gird your loins because The Devil Wears Prada actor previously spoke about how he almost ended his relationship with the literary agent in the early days of their romance.
"I'm 21 years older than she is and I didn't want to feel old for the rest of my life!" Stanley told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2023. "But I knew that this was an incredibly special person.”
Oli Green & Sienna Miller
The Alfie actress and the Lift actor know not everyone understands their relationship.
“I would imagine it would be complicated for anyone to get their head around," Oli put it to Vogue while referencing their 15-year age gap, "but there’s been nothing but love and joy.”
And frankly, Sienna suggested nobody else needs to understand it.
“I don’t think you can legislate on matters of the heart," she added. "I certainly have never been able to."
Jeff Goldblum & Emilie Livingston
The Jurassic Park star recalled a lighthearted moment with his Olympian wife, who is 30 years his junior.
"I said, 'Which Beatle would I be if I was one of the Beatles?'" he remembered on The Hoda Show. "She said, 'Rex Harrison.' I said, 'Wait a minute, I know we saw that My Fair Lady yesterday. I think you're thinking of that.'"
However, Jeff noted it didn't take Emilie long to realize she meant George Harrison.
"So there's that kind of thing," he noted of the couple's age gap. But other than their differing cultural touchpoints, he continued, life together is "so far so good."
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham
The model also doesn't feel the need to deliver a fast and furious response to any critics of her 20-year age gap with the actor.
"His knowledge and strength are really inspiring and attractive, and that can come with a man who's had a bit of time," she told Glamour in 2013. "We have a connection that has nothing to do with age. Work comes and goes, but if you have someone at home who thinks you're the greatest person in the world, that keeps you going."
David Foster & Katharine McPhee
As for how the American Idol alum feels about any judgment towards her nearly 35-year age gap with the composer? Probably so over it.
"I totally get the judgment initially, but things are never as they appear," Katharine said on Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Podcast in 2023. "And I'm in love with our love story, and that's all that matters is that I'm in love with the love story."
Kristin Cavallari & Mark Estes
One thing that’s not unwritten? The way Kristin felt about her 13-year age gap with ex-boyfriend Mark Estes.
“Me dating a 24-year-old is not something that I was searching out,” The Hills alum said on a March 2024 episode of her podcast Let’s Be Honest. “It’s not something that I ever thought would ever happen. If you guys listen to the podcast, you know I thought 30-year-olds were too young for me.”
And while Kristin said she understands how “it looks to the outside world,” she insisted Mark is “not a typical 24-year-old” and that there’s more to a person than their birth year.
“I really think age is just a number,” she continued. “It’s what you’ve been through in your life, how you were raised. There are just so many factors that go into maturity other than age.”
But months later, Kristin shared she broke up with Mark.
“I just know long-term he needs to experience life,” she said on an October episode of her podcast. “He’s young. He is. I started to feel the age a bit just with life experience. I look back when I was 24 and how much life has happened for me in between then. Those are crucial years. Those are formative years. This is when you find yourself and he needs to be able to do that.”
Still, she called their romance "the best relationship" of her life and expressed hope that Mark will realize their split was for the best.
"I know that one day he will look back and he will understand it," she added, "and I actually think one day he will thank me."
Amal Clooney & George Clooney
When the Oscar winner first started crushing on the barrister, he wasn't sure she'd feel the same way.
“I liked her, but I didn’t want to jump the shark on it,” George said on The Howard Stern Show about his early romance with Amal. “I couldn’t tell if she liked me. ‘Cause I’m 17 years older than her so she might’ve thought I was grandpa.”
However, it turns out she liked him right back and they wed in 2014.
Nick Viall & Natalie Joy
Age is only a number for the Bachelor alum, who is 18 years older than his wife. As he put it during a March 2025 episode of his The Viall Files podcast, "When it comes to age gaps, looks matter."