Florence Pugh Speaks Out After Instagram Allegedly Suppresses Post Supporting Cornell Sexual Assault Survivor

Florence Pugh spoke out about a reopened sexual assault case at Cornell University involving seven fraternity members accused of assaulting a student in 2024.Instagram allegedly suppressed and shadowbanned the actor’s post about the assault case, prompting her to call out the platform for censoring discussions about rape.In her original post, she urged men to actively combat sexual assault by speaking up and leading conversations about ending complicity in harmful behavior toward women.Content warning: This article discusses rape and sexual assault.Florence Pugh isn’t backing down without a fight. After she recently spoke out amid the reopened sexual assault case at Cornell University, where a student alleged that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted her in 2024, the East of Eden actor called out Instagram for suppressing her post.“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 questioned on her Instagram Stories. “Has it been taken down for others? Am I being censored for talking about rape?”Florence Pugh//InstagramAfter checking the post’s analytics, she confirmed it was apparently being blurred for other users. “Yep. It’s been partially taken down. Some people can only see the trigger warning and some people can’t swipe. Great! Another lovely lesson to teach people that if you speak up about it, we will silence you!” she added before reposting her message.Florence Pugh//InstagramIn a separate post on her feed, she called out the social media platform for allegedly shadowbanning her original lengthy statement.“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,” she said.According to ABC News, the case was reopened by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten less than two weeks after a Cornell alum filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was “drugged, assaulted, and gang raped” by seven Chi Phi fraternity members.“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,” Florence wrote, in part, in her original post shared on Sunday, September 27. “How can you expect us to trust that it’s ‘not all men’ when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?”Dominik Bindl//Getty ImagesElsewhere in her lengthy statement, she urged men to step up and speak out when something is wrong. “There is no equality until we can say we feel safe,” she said. “We are the life force of this earth, start fucking protecting us. Be angry for us. Please.”If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, support is available. You can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or access support and resources through RAINN. If you are in immediate danger or need emergency medical assistance, call 911.