Florence Pugh reveals the special meal she had after learning of Sebastián Lelio's death

Florence Pugh marked the loss of late filmmaker Sebastián Lelio who died on November 6, 2026, at the age of 52, with a special meal of beef and red wine. The actress shared the personal tribute on Instagram on November 9. Then she recalled how their friendship grew through their shared love of food while they worked on the 2022 film The Wonder.

Lelio's partner, Amalia Kassai, announced his death in an Instagram statement. The family said he died following health complications but did not disclose a specific cause.

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Pugh said she had bought a special cut of beef and a bottle of red wine shortly before she learned of Lelio's passing. “So it’s not lost on me that right before I’d found out about his passing, I’d purchased a special cut of beef and a special red wine, almost as a preparation for his mourning,” she wrote.

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“I cooked it. Drank it. And thought and spoke of how unique and mesmerising he was. I smiled through tears as I looked at my plate because I knew he would have smiled at it too,” the actress added.

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How did Florence Pugh and Sebastián Lelio become friends?

Pugh said she met Lelio five years ago while they worked on The Wonder. The 2022 drama featured Pugh as an English nurse who travels to Ireland to observe a young girl who reportedly has survived without food for months.

The actress said Lelio had already earned recognition for his work and the way he told women's stories. “He was a man who was so firmly on our side. He cared so deeply for women, he dedicated his work to telling the stories of women and all of the different hardships and pain,” she wrote.

Pugh also recalled his personality and described him as a sensitive man with “bright blue beaming eyes that stared into your soul even if you were talking about breakfast.”

She said their shared love of food helped them form a close bond. “We fell in love over food, we had so much to talk about with the script of The Wonder, but the thing that really allowed us to share a heartbeat was love of food,” she wrote.

The actress recalled their shared enthusiasm for “Meat, stews, cheese, red wine” and said they would both shout, “OH RED WINE.” Lelio also took her to restaurants in Dublin, where they discussed the film and enjoyed the chefs' food choices.

What did Florence Pugh say about Sebastián Lelio's death?

Pugh began her tribute by saying she was still trying to process the news. “I’ve been processing this news since the day it happened, my brain is having a hard time accepting that this incredible man is no longer with us,” she wrote.

She called Lelio “an absolute sparkling jewel” and said, “My heart is broken.”

The actress also shared one of the lessons she learned from him. “He taught me the need and importance of dancing. Regularly. Ugly but human dancing,” she wrote.

Pugh described him as patient, gentle and a brilliant artist whose work made a difference. She also said his death was a painful reminder that “we don’t have forever.”

“Sending my love and deep warm hugs to his family and friends. I’m so sorry for your massive loss,” she wrote. She ended the tribute with a message to her friend: “Sebastian, I love you dear friend. I’m cheersing to you. Always. X”

Lelio won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018 for A Fantastic Woman, which starred Daniela Vega. His other films included Gloria, Disobedience and Gloria Bell. He had also begun work on a film adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's novel The Chilean Poet.