Millie Bobby Brown has slammed numerous tabloids that have criticised her appearance – see what she had to say below.
Millie Bobby Brown, who is now aged 21, joined the entertainment industry 11 years ago when she was cast as Stranger Things‘ lead character Eleven. Since then, she’s grown up in the public eye and in May last year got married to Jake Bongiovi, son of Jon Bon Jovi.
In recent times, Millie Bobby Brown has faced criticism about her appearance, with Daily Mail recently launching a profile titled Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly?. In a new video on Instagram, the young actor has hit back at the “journalists” taking shots at her looks.
Brown said: “I want to take a moment to address something that I think is bigger than just me, something that affects every young woman who grows up under public scrutiny. I think it’s necessary to speak up about this. I started in this industry when I was 10 years old. I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me. Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should still look the way I did on Stranger Things Season 1. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.”
She then addressed several tabloid headlines and the writers behind them by name: “This isn’t journalism. This is bullying. The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices, it’s disturbing. The fact that some of these articles are written by women? Even worse. We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when the time comes, it seems easier to tear them down for clicks. Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs.”
Millie Bobby Brown continued, standing her ground: “I refuse to apologise for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman. I will not be shamed for how I look, how I dress, or how I present myself. We have become a society where it’s so much easier to criticise than it is to pay a compliment. Why is the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice? If you have a problem with that, I have to wonder—what is it that actually makes you so uncomfortable? Let’s do better. Not just for me, but for every young girl who deserves to grow up without fear of being torn apart for simply existing.”
You can watch the full video below.
Following her post, several prominent names in the film and TV industry have voiced their support for Millie Bobby Brown. Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul commented on the post: “You are such a beautiful example of grace and mutuality. Way to stand up for yourself. So proud of you Mills.”
Sarah Jessica Parker added: “Enormously proud of you.” Cheaters actor Susan Wokoma commented: “Calling 
them out by name Bravo, Mills xxx.”
Last month (February 13), Brown admitted that she doesn’t have “many friends” as a result of her time spent making the hit series Stranger Things: “I didn’t go to school, so I don’t have the best social skills when it comes to people my own age and friendships. I struggle with that quite a bit. I missed out on a few things. But I’m working through them.”
As well as Brown, Stranger Things also stars David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Joe Keery and Maya Hawke. It was created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer.
Filming on season five of Stranger Things wrapped in December 2024, with some photos from the wrap party surfacing online. Many of the cast have opened up about how emotional it was to complete the show, with Brown sharing a heartfelt farewell letter on Instagram and Wolfhard saying in January 2025 that it “couldn’t have ended better”.
Thought Netflix teased that season five would arrive this year, the Duffer Brothers recently suggested that releasing any of season five in 2025 could be “quite the push”: “A lot of it hasn’t been decided, in terms of exactly the release dates and cadence. That’s one reason I’m not allowed to talk about it. We’re getting on a call in about a couple weeks about it. I just know it was very important for us and Netflix that we get it out this year. But even that is quite the push.”
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