Florence Pugh has sharply criticized Instagram after saying the platform censored her comments about the reopened investigation into an alleged sexual assault connected to Cornell University. Her posts called for accountability and challenged men to speak out against sexual violence.

Pugh discussed the controversy while touring for her newest film, East of Eden. During a conversation with “The View” cohost Sara Haines, the actor explained why she felt compelled to address the case publicly.

Haines said, “Even in modern times, women have to bear the consequences of sexual violence, like the allegations currently playing out with the so-called Cornell 7.” She then asked Pugh, “Can you explain why you felt the need to speak up?”

Pugh answered, “Rape is something that lives. The fear of it lives in our bodies, and when stories like this come out and it’s really not picked up in the way that you hope it’s picked up, it makes me feel scared, it makes me feel anxious, it made me feel so much rage.”

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Florence Pugh calls out Instagram for blocking her post calling for seven Cornell fraternity members to be held accountable for sexual assault:

“Great! Another lovely lesson to teach people that if you speak up about it, we will silence you! Good job I saved it. I’ll give it… pic.twitter.com/NFqUbmVh7h

— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) September 27, 2026

Pugh continued, “I’m lucky enough to do what I do and I have a platform and I wanted to talk about it.” She described her ability to speak publicly as an opportunity to amplify a case that had left her angry and anxious.

She then criticized Instagram directly, saying, “I’m able to come here and talk about it in real life, even though, sadly, Instagram censored me when I said it, which is also just another shock that women are censored, even when they go through these things, they can’t talk about it…”

Pugh had previously addressed the apparent restriction in another Instagram post. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she shared a screenshot showing an advisory that read, “This post contains content that some people may find upsetting.”

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In her caption, Pugh wrote, “Rather worryingly, neither I or some of my followers can access the recent post that I wrote about the Cornell College sexual abuse. Why is that?”

She followed with two more questions: “Has it been taken down for others? Am I being censored for talking about rape?”

The same warning later appeared on her latest post. Pugh had published her original statement about the Cornell 7 case on Sunday.

Pugh wrote, “This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour as much as we are.”

She then challenged men who remain silent, writing, “How can you expect us to trust that it’s “not all men” when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?”

Pugh also argued that colleges, schools, and universities repeatedly fail women around the world. She wrote that men are taught over time that they can cause extreme harm without being harmed in return.

Her statement called for scrutiny and punishment of those who protect men accused of rape or give them light sentences. She ended that portion of the post by questioning why anyone would so fiercely protect such people.

Mariska Hargitay reshared post alleging Cornell University expelled students for protesting genocide but not the seven fraternity members involved in gang rape. pic.twitter.com/C0ZyqE5xFk

— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) September 28, 2026

According to Mandatory, a former Cornell student filed a lawsuit against the university and seven fraternity members on September 16th. The lawsuit alleged that several men at the Chi Phi fraternity forced her to take drugs.

The former student alleged that the men raped her on October 19th, 2024, when she was 20. The original case ended without charges, but prosecutors reopened the investigation following an influx of public attention.

Pugh was not the only actor to respond. Josh Gad wrote that the case was not an innocent mistake but a destruction of life, adding that the failure to hold anyone accountable sends a profoundly disturbing message.

Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams shared photos and wrote, “Arrest them. F*** them and f*** Cornell too.” Mariska Hargitay and the Joyful Heart Foundation also released a statement about the case.

They wrote, “We refuse for this victim to be reduced to just another story. Cornell has failed to protect its students.”

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