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

Florence Pugh, Will Poulter
Florence Pugh, Will Poulter

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Tristan Fewings/Getty

Florence Pugh is not dating Will Poulter — and she disapproves of the misleading photos that sparked romance rumors.

The Black Widow actress, 26, was photographed on a beach during a trip to Ibiza Monday with friends, including Poulter, 29, with whom she starred in the 2019 film Midsommar.

After those pictures were published by some outlets with suggestions of a new relationship between the actors, Pugh spoke out on her Instagram Story, clarifying that they are just friends. She began her written statement saying, "Man. This is getting a little silly now."

"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."

"I understand that the nature of this job is that you sometimes get your privacy completely bulldozed by paparazzi, but to fabricate this stuff actually does more damage than good. Thanks for saying we look sexy.. doesn't mean we're doing the sexy," continued Pugh.

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FLORENCE PUGH
FLORENCE PUGH

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Pugh called Poulter one of her "best mates" and said it was "gross" that anyone would portray a "fake relationship" between them.

The star shared another "very important note" on the subject, saying there is "no need to drag people through this." She continued, "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," said Pugh.

In April, Pugh celebrated boyfriend Zach Braff's birthday, captioning a series of photos on Instagram, "Happy Birthday Zachary." Prior to that, in January, Braff, 47, celebrated Pugh's birthday with a social media tribute.

"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 on his Instagram Story alongside a photo of Pugh resting at the edge of a swimming pool.