Scrubs star Zach Braff has denied rumours that he is dating an AI chatbot, calling the speculation “baseless” in a series of Instagram stories.
The actor and filmmaker, best known for his role in the medical comedy and for writing, directing and starring in the 2004 film Garden State, addressed the claims after they went viral on TikTok. The rumour originated from a December episode of the comedy podcast I Need You Guys, where comedian Max Silvestri spoke about a “well-known actor” in a romantic relationship with his chatbot, adding that the star tells people “sorry that you’re not on board with the future”.
Internet users then speculated that Braff was the unnamed actor, prompting him to share screenshots of the podcast clip on Instagram on Thursday (12 March) with the caption: “I’m not dating a chatbot. I can’t believe I have to type these words.”
Braff theorised that the confusion may have arisen from a storyline in the recently rebooted Scrubs, in which a character dates a chatbot. “Maybe it came from that? Not sure. But not me. Love, The guy not dating his chatbot. Please update all gossip sites,” he wrote.
The actor also expressed hurt over the rumour, writing in a separate Instagram story: “I feel like now is a good time to be kind to people.” Braff was previously in a relationship with actor Florence Pugh, who defended their 21-year age gap before the pair split in 2022.
