Acclaimed actress Florence Pugh has given a raw and candid account of reaching a personal breaking point, revealing that the immense pressure she was under led to a physical and mental health crisis where she began unintentionally injuring herself.
A Body Screaming for Help
Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, the 28-year-old star reflected on a past relationship that left her utterly drained. Pugh, known for her powerful performances in films like Midsommar, Little Women, and Oppenheimer, admitted she only grasped the severity of her situation when her body started to react violently.
‘Because I had a breakdown,’ she told Theroux. ‘When you are hurting your body, you know when you are not sleeping or you’re drinking too much or you’ve got the sh**s because you’re so anxious – that’s your body screaming at you.’
Unintentional Self-Injury During Crisis
The situation escalated to the point where Pugh began physically harming herself without realising it. She described a period where her body was in ‘full panic mode’.
‘I found myself injured, I would injure myself,’ she confessed. ‘I’d be chopping and I’d like, chop huge chunks out of my hands. I’ve just never done that since. My body was just like, in full panic mode. I was injuring myself in order to look after myself, which is a funny thing of my body asking for help.’
This stark admission highlights the profound physical manifestation of her psychological distress.
The Pressure to be 'Good for Everybody Else'
Pugh explained that her personality contributed to her neglecting her own well-being. As someone who is naturally bubbly and provides energy for others, she found herself at the bottom of her own priority list.
‘I felt like there was an expectation that I needed to be good for everybody else,’ she said. ‘My issues, my worries, my pains weren’t worthy of being spoken about because it would bring people down. Then of course you find yourself in a pit or in a mess.’
The toll wasn't just from her personal life; her professional work also had a significant impact. She recalled pushing herself to an extreme emotional limit while filming the horror film Midsommar, an experience that she said ‘really f****d me up.’
‘I’d abused myself and really manipulated my own emotions to get a performance,’ Pugh revealed, adding that she suffered from depression for months afterwards. She has since learned to establish better boundaries, stating, ‘I just can’t exhaust myself like that because it has a knock-on effect.’
Finding a Healthier Place
Now, Pugh says she is in a much better place, both mentally and emotionally. She describes being in a ‘very good’ relationship, widely reported to be with Peaky Blinders actor Finn Cole, with rumours of an engagement. This new chapter stands in contrast to her previous three-year relationship with Scrubs actor Zach Braff, which ended in 2022.
Reflecting on her difficult period with the clarity of hindsight, she noted, ‘I think it became increasingly obvious that something wasn’t right. But hindsight’s always a funny thing.’
Need support for your mental health? You can contact mental health charity Mind on 0300 123 3393 or text them on 86463. Mind can also be reached by email at info@mind.org.uk.
The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify now.
