Florence Pugh Asks if Instagram Is ‘Silencing’ Her Over Cornell Sexual Assault Post

Florence Pugh questioned whether Instagram was “silencing” her after a post condemning the alleged sexual assault of a Cornell University student was placed behind a sensitive-content warning. Meta later removed the restriction after reviewing the post.

Pugh posted about the allegations Sunday, calling on men to take a more active role in confronting sexual violence and the culture she said allows it to continue. Hours later, she returned to Instagram after discovering that some users could no longer open the post without first passing a warning screen.

“This is worrying,” Pugh wrote in a follow-up. She asked whether the post had been removed or restricted for other users and questioned whether she was “being silenced for talking about rape.”

Meta said Instagram places warnings on content discussing sexual violence and exploitation to protect victims, alert users to potentially upsetting material and prevent younger users from seeing age-inappropriate content. After further review, the company removed the warning from Pugh’s post under what it described as a “newsworthy allowance,” making the post visible to adult users without the restriction.

Pugh’s comments came amid renewed attention on a lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student against the university, the Chi Phi fraternity and seven former fraternity members. The woman alleges she was given alcohol and drugs before being sexually assaulted by multiple men at the fraternity house in October 2024.

The former student reported the incident to Cornell University Police, according to the complaint. Criminal charges were not filed following the initial investigation. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has since announced that prosecutors are reopening the case. The allegations against the former fraternity members have not been proven in court.

In her original Instagram post, Pugh directed much of her message toward men, saying they should share the “horror and disgust” women feel when confronted with allegations of sexual violence and take a larger role in challenging behavior that enables it.

The actress, who is promoting the upcoming Netflix series “East of Eden,” also criticized colleges and universities over their handling of sexual misconduct. She argued that institutions can contribute to a culture in which men believe they can harm women without facing meaningful consequences.

Pugh also questioned people and institutions that protect those accused or convicted of sexual violence, asking why anyone would defend perpetrators so fiercely.

Other public figures have joined the criticism surrounding the Cornell case. Actor Josh Gad rejected attempts to characterize the alleged conduct as a mistake, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed the controversy during a town hall in Ithaca, describing sexual violence on college campuses as a problem tied to culture, norms, and institutional practices.

Cornell has said its Title IX process resulted in disciplinary sanctions stemming from the allegations, including suspensions and expulsions. The university has also disputed reports suggesting that writing essays was the sole punishment imposed on students involved in the case.

Instagram’s removal of the warning resolved the immediate restriction Pugh raised with her followers. Her original post remains available to adult users as the Cornell allegations continue to draw scrutiny from prosecutors, public officials, and other prominent figures.