Florence Pugh has spoken out about Instagram placing a content warning on her posts discussing the sexual assault allegations involving a former Cornell University student, saying she was shocked that her comments about rape were restricted on the platform.

The East of Eden star addressed the controversy during an appearance on “The View”, where she explained why she felt compelled to speak publicly about the case and criticized what she described as the censorship of women discussing sexual violence.

Pugh’s comments followed reports about a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, who alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven men at a Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.

The allegations remain the subject of legal proceedings, and some of the accused men have denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors in Tompkins County have also reopened their investigation following the emergence of new allegations in the civil lawsuit.

Pugh previously used Instagram to express her reaction to the case, urging men to speak out against sexual violence and what she described as a culture that allows such behavior to continue.

During her appearance on The View, Pugh said Instagram had restricted her post after she discussed the case.

“Instagram censored me when I said it,” Pugh said.

She added that the experience was particularly disturbing because she was speaking about sexual violence and women’s experiences with it.

Pugh said she felt “scared,” “anxious” and angry when she saw how the story was being covered, explaining that her public platform gave her an opportunity to draw additional attention to the issue.

Pugh’s original post was placed behind an Instagram sensitive-content warning, which meant some users could not immediately view it.

In a follow-up Instagram Story, the actress questioned why the platform had restricted her comments and suggested that she was being censored for discussing rape.

However, Meta, Instagram’s parent company, said the platform’s action was related to its rules concerning descriptions of sexual violence and exploitation.

According to Meta, the warning was initially applied to alert users that the post contained potentially upsetting material. After further review, the company determined that the post qualified for a newsworthy allowance and removed the warning, making it fully visible to adults.

The controversy surrounding the case has continued to develop.

The woman at the center of the lawsuit had previously spoken with Cornell police in 2024. After the civil complaint brought renewed attention to her allegations, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office was reopening the criminal investigation.

Cornell has also agreed to an independent investigation into how the university handled the allegations. The university has said the fraternity chapter involved was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.

Pugh’s comments also connect with her current work in Netflix’s East of Eden, in which she portrays Cathy Ames, a character whose story includes sexual and physical violence.

Speaking about the Cornell case, Pugh said the fear associated with sexual violence is something women continue to carry and that conversations around the issue need to continue.

Her comments have since drawn further attention to the case as the legal and criminal investigations move forward.