Florence Pugh Pictured At A Recent Public Event
The actor has used her platform to respond publicly to allegations detailed in the Cornell lawsuit, addressing both the university and the woman who brought the case Screenshot/WWW/Youtube

'I'm not tired anymore, I'm enraged,' Florence Pugh wrote in an Instagram statement after a former Cornell University student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.

The lawsuit names Cornell, Chi Phi-related entities and seven current or former students as defendants, while the claims remain unproven and subject to the civil process.

Pugh's statement has drawn additional public attention to the lawsuit and to allegations by the plaintiff's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, that Cornell expelled two of the seven defendants while imposing lesser sanctions on others.

Cornell has not confirmed individual disciplinary outcomes, saying federal privacy law bars it from making public statements about specific students.

The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office said it conducted a thorough review of the police investigation and found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges. No criminal charges have been filed against the seven defendants, and the allegations in the civil lawsuit have not been adjudicated.

Florence Pugh Responds to Cornell Lawsuit

Pugh said she was 'enraged' by what she characterised as institutions protecting the futures of boys over the wellbeing of girls. She also called on men to confront sexual violence and addressed the plaintiff, identified in the court filing as Jane Doe, with a message of support.

Reporting on Pugh's statement said she described the prospect of a rape occurring 'upstairs' without intervention as 'despicable, cowardly and cold'. Those words represent Pugh's response to allegations in the lawsuit, rather than findings of fact in the case.

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What the Civil Complaint Alleges

According to the complaint, Jane Doe arrived at the Chi Phi house after consuming alcohol and was allegedly given additional alcohol and drugs before being sexually assaulted by several men over several hours. The complaint alleges that the incident began on 19 October 2024 and continued until approximately 5.45am the following morning.

The complaint further alleges that one of the defendants posted a message in the fraternity's Snapchat group, 'Chi Phi Actives', suggesting that Doe was available for sex upstairs. That allegation appears in the civil filing and has not been established in court.

Doe reported the alleged incident to Cornell University Police on 8 November 2024, according to reporting on the lawsuit. Her attorney, Giuffra, stated that two of the seven defendants were expelled while others received what he described as lesser sanctions, including suspensions, workshops or essays.

Cornell and Defence Responses

Cornell said it was aware of the lawsuit concerning what it described as 'deeply disturbing allegations of sexual assault' involving members of its student community in 2024. It said its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations in line with university policy.

The university said Chi Phi's Xi chapter remains barred from campus and that federal privacy law prevents it from disclosing individual disciplinary results. Cornell added that breaches of university policy can carry sanctions 'up to and including suspension or expulsion' and said it would respond in detail through the legal process.

Jeremy Saland, a lawyer for defendant Scott Kretzschmar, stated that his client 'wholeheartedly denies the allegations in the complaint'. Saland said the defence possesses documents, third-party statements and scientific evidence that it believes demonstrate the allegations against Kretzschmar are false.

What Happens Next

The plaintiff's lawsuit seeks damages and accuses Cornell and other defendants of claims including negligence, breach of contract and violations of state law. The civil case will determine whether the claims are proved, while the seven defendants retain the right to deny and challenge every allegation made against them.

Cornell said it launched a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault after the alleged incident, and that several recommendations from its March 2026 report have already been implemented.

Pugh's post has broadened the audience for the case, but it does not alter its legal status: the central claims remain allegations in an unresolved civil lawsuit.

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