Zach Braff’s new younger love has been revealed to be alt-pop singer-songwriter Frances Whitney.
The Scrubs star, 49, who split from actress Florence Pugh, 28 in 2022, debuted his new romance with Frances during a cozy dinner date this week – captured in exclusive DailyMail.com photos.
The musician – who boasts more than 17,000 Instagram followers, including the actor, is an emerging star whose last single – You Left Me For Jesus – was released in August.
Whitney was previously a professional volleyball player before turning her hand to music.
Her record label biography reads: ‘Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Frances identifies as a songwriter before all else.
Zach Braff’s new younger love has been revealed to be alt-pop singer-songwriter Frances Whitney – with the pair confirming their romance at dinner this week
Braff and Pugh (pictured above last year together) dated for three years between 2019 to 2022
‘Even during her time overseas playing professional volleyball, much of her downtime was spent with her guitar.
‘As soon as she retired from sports and made her way back to the states, she also returned home to her identity as a musician.
‘Swirled with nostalgic nods to Los Angeles’ 70s rock stars – and inspired by a lyrically driven modern indie landscape – Frances marries together eras to create something entirely its own: soulful, honest, and universal.’
It is unclear where she and Braff first met or how long they have been dating for.
She said of her latest single: ‘This song wrote itself.
‘In atypical fashion, the lyrics and melody poured out of me all at once — as if already written — from a place of deep heartbreak, betrayal, and confusion.
‘I was crying in the session while tracking vocals. And here we are!
Her EP Old Hobbies is set for release on November 8.
The musician – who boasts more than 17,000 Instagram followers, including the actor, is an emerging star whose last single – You Left Me For Jesus – was released in August
Her bio reads: ‘Swirled with nostalgic nods to Los Angeles’ 70s rock stars – and inspired by a lyrically driven modern indie landscape – Frances marries together eras to create something entirely its own: soulful, honest, and universal’
Whitney frequentty shows off her stylish ensembles on social media while plugging her music
She is set to embark on her Old Hobbies Tour through December and January – with four dates in San Francisco, Brooklyn, Toronto and LA
As they left the celebrity hotspot, Braff wrapped his arms around his new love interest and planted a sweet kiss on her neck
She is set to embark on her Old Hobbies Tour through December and January – with four dates in San Francisco, Brooklyn, Toronto and LA.
Braff was seen wrapping his arms around Whitney at celeb hotspot Sushi Park in West Hollywood on Tuesday night.
As they left, Braff wrapped his arms around his new love interest and planted a sweet kiss on her neck.
The PDA made his date smile as she walked a few steps ahead of him after dining at the popular sushi spot, tucked away on the second floor of a nondescript strip mall.
For their night out, she rocked a chic, black long sleeve and a pair of ripped light-wash jeans.
Since his breakup with Pugh after three years of dating, the performer has kept his love life out of the spotlight.
In December 2023, he spoke highly about his ex while appearing on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show.
During the interview, he said he and Pugh still ‘love each other’ despite now only being ‘friends.’
He also confessed that they are still is in regular contact, and she had even chatted with him earlier that morning.
‘I was on the Today Show this morning, and she said she wanted to see pictures of what my outfit was to give approvals, so we love each other a lot,’ Braff continued.
He also made it clear there weren’t any hard feelings between the two when he gushed about the Oscar nominee’s prodigious talents.
‘Listen, I think it’s pretty clear across the world that I’m not biased when I say that she is one of the finest actresses working today,’ he enthused.
‘I think anyone who gives watching A Good Person a chance will see that she’s just extraordinary, and I just feel so lucky that I got to have her be my leading lady.’
Before their relationship had run its course, Florence had signed on to play the lead in A Good Person, which Zach directed but did not star in.
The PDA made Frances smile as she walked a few steps ahead of him after dining at the sushi spot, tucked away on the second floor of a nondescript strip mall
Zach and Florence were first introduced while on the set of a short film he was making, but it wasn’t until April of 2019 that they were linked when they were spotted holding hands.
However, the couple stayed silent and didn’t confirm the relationship until December of that year.
A Good Person was filmed in 2021, when the couple were still together, and they were apparently together at least until April of 2022 when she wished him a happy 47th birthday
During their relationship, the couple — and particularly Florence — experienced a torrent of abuse on social media due to their 21-year age gap, though the Little Drummer Girl actress defended her right to choose to be with Zach.
‘I have the right to hang out and be with and go out with anyone I want to,’ she asserted during a 2020 interview with Elle UK. ‘I’ve always found this part of what people do really bizarre.
Pugh continued: ‘I know that part of being in the spotlight is that people might invade your privacy and have opinions on it, but it’s bizarre that normal folk are allowed to display such hate and opinions on a part of my life that I’m not putting out there.’
n September, Pugh, who is now dating Peaky Blinders star Finn Cole, explained that she had ‘had to be public in the past’ about their relationship due to the relentless bullying over their age difference.
‘Mine and Zach’s relationship was actually quite private until it was nasty, and I could see the toll that it was taking on him and us and our families. And that’s when I spoke out,’ she told Vogue.
Zach and Florence were first introduced while on the set of a short film he was making, but it wasn’t until April of 2019 that they were linked when they were spotted holding hands; seen in 2023
‘I think for anyone I’m with, I want to protect them. It’s not nice knowing that people are saying the worst things I’ve ever read about someone that I love.
‘So that was necessary. I needed to talk about it. I think any relationship in this limelight is going to be stressed.’
Florence confirmed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in August 2022 that the pair had gone their separate ways.
