Florence Pugh Accuses Instagram of Censoring Her Cornell 7 Posts

Florence Pugh says Instagram censored her posts about the sexual assault case at Cornell University, telling "The View" that platform interference amounts to "another shock that women are censored."

Pugh appeared on the ABC talk show as part of her press tour for Netflix's "East of Eden." Co-host Sara Haines raised the actor's recent social media posts on the case involving the so-called Cornell 7 — seven male students accused of drugging and gang raping a female classmate at Cornell University in October 2024.

"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," Haines said. "The case is still pending, and some of the accused have denied any wrongdoing, but I saw what you wrote about this. This was really important for you. Can you explain why you felt the need to speak up?"

Pugh, an Oscar nominee, answered directly. "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," she said. "I'm lucky enough to do what I do and I have a platform and I wanted to talk about it."

The alleged victim is now suing her alleged assaulters, their fraternity, Cornell University, her former sorority and others. According to the woman's attorney, Cornell's original investigation into the alleged crime resulted in only two of the accused men being expelled. The others received lesser sanctions, including temporary suspensions, workshops or essay-writing assignments.

Instagram placed a content warning on Pugh's original post about the case, covering it with the label: "This post contains content that some people may find upsetting." Pugh then published a second post calling out Instagram for "blocking" her statement. As of the publication of this story, Instagram is blocking only the second post with a content warning; the first post remains visible on the platform.

"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 said. "I feel very lucky and honored that we get to talk about this today. Thank you for bringing it up. It's an ongoing conversation and it will always be an ongoing conversation until we're harder on those that do that to women."

In her original Instagram post, Pugh described the alleged assault as an "horrific act" and wrote that she knew "this has happened before, and I hate the idea of it happening again." She urged men to speak out and to be "leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behavior as much as we are. Be angry for us. Please."

"This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us," the actor added.

She was blunter in the follow-up post. "Instagram decided to block my post from getting in front of the right people. Tut tut tut. Oh dear. That doesn't look great does it? Here's another go at it in case you were one of those people that can no longer see my post."

Pugh is among the most prominent celebrities condemning the Cornell 7. After her posts, Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad and Hudson Williams also used social media to condemn the accused students. "Arrest them," Williams, star of "Heated Rivalry," wrote on his Instagram story while sharing a photo of the seven accused men. "Fuck them and fuck Cornell, too!"

"We refuse for this victim to be reduced to just another story. Cornell has failed to protect its students," Hargitay posted on her Instagram in a shared statement with the Joyful Heart Foundation, the organization she founded to support victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

Pugh will next appear on the big screen in "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three." The civil case against the accused students, their fraternity and the university remains pending, and Pugh has signaled she intends to keep the conversation going until, in her words, "we're harder on those that do that to women."