Zach Braff Addresses Shocking AI Chatbot Dating Rumors

Zach Braff has spoken out to clear up the bizarre rumors that he is dating an AI chatbot. The 50-year-old actor addressed the speculation on Instagram on March 12, responding to comments made during a December 2025 episode of the podcast I Need You Guys, hosted by Max Silvestri, Jenny Slate, and Gabe Liedman, with guest Kumail Nanjiani.

In his Instagram Stories, Braff wrote, “I’m not dating a chatbot. I can’t believe I have to type these words. It is a storyline in an upcoming ep of Scrubs. Maybe it came from that? Not sure. But not me. Love, The guy not dating his chatbot. Please update all gossip sites.” He also shared screenshots from the podcast episode to show the origin of the rumor.

The rumor started when Silvestri vaguely mentioned on the podcast that a “prominent Hollywood actor” was allegedly in a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot. Silvestri added that the actor brought the chatbot to places and communicated with it on devices. Nanjiani asked how well-known the actor was, to which Silvestri replied, “Very. As near A-list as TV can get you. This person’s also done films.”

Jenny Slate, another host, attempted to discourage the conversation, saying, “We can’t put this on our podcast. It’s not nice.” Despite the clarification, the topic spread online, eventually reaching Braff himself. He responded, noting that he had only just discovered the origin of the rumor because he “had no idea until tonight (because I’m not on TikTok) that these folks were the origin of this.”

Braff also added a message about kindness, writing, “I feel like now is a good time to be kind to people.” After his statement, Silvestri responded on Instagram, admitting he had never mentioned Braff’s name before and emphasizing that there were bigger issues in the world, saying, “Between tariffs and energy prices, the average American can barely afford to charge their girlfriend.”

According to People, Braff was previously in a relationship with Florence Pugh from 2019 to 2022, and the pair were spotted having dinner with her family in 2023.

Zach Braff’s Instagram clarification makes it clear that the AI dating story is completely false. He even referenced his upcoming Scrubs storyline as a possible source for the confusion. What do you think about these wild Hollywood rumors? Share your thoughts in the comments.