
Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown responds to tabloid bullying aimed at her appearance
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has criticised numerous tabloids and recent press articles that have criticised her appearance, saying "this isn't journalism, this is bullying".
The 21-year-old actress posted a three-minute video on her Instagram page, in which she called out article headlines and the names of the reporters who wrote them – including the Daily Mail's crass profile titled ' Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly? '
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.'
Here's the full video:
Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Une publication partagée par Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebobbybrown)
Brown has been praised by fellow actors in response to the post, including Sex And The City's Sarah Jessica Parker, who wrote that she was "enormously proud".
Brown's co-star in Enola Holmes, Louis Partridge, commented: "Well said Millie. Handled with grace."
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.'
Millie Bobby Brown, 21, has grown up in the media spotlight since the age of nine, when she appeared in ABC drama Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. She got her big break in 2016 when she was cast as Eleven in Netflix's sci-fi hit series Stranger Things.
In May last year, she got married to Jake Bongiovi, son of Jon Bon Jovi – something which intensified tabloid gossip and press scrutiny.
Brown has been on the promotion circuit in recent weeks for the press tour of her new movie The Electric State, whilst also making appearances at the SAG and Brit awards.
Filming on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things wrapped in December 2024. It is set to be released sometime this year on Netflix.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fashion Network
6 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Fashion Talks 2025 in Antwerp explores fashion's future and media impact
Last week, Antwerp strengthened its status as a fashion metropolis with Fashion Talks and the four-hour fashion showcase by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts 2025. The event combined the conference and showroom format with the Academy's final shows during the summer for the first time. Organiser Flanders DC (District of Creativity) plans to expand this emerging fashion week format starting in 2026. Going forward, Fashion Talks will take place annually alongside the Academy's final shows in June, replacing the previous biennial format. The Belgian Fashion Awards will continue to be presented each autumn, alternating between Antwerp and Brussels, as Cools announced at the Arenberg Theater. During the Fashion Walk—a curated city route featuring temporary showrooms by Antwerp-based designers—visitors also discovered three emerging talents from the DACH region: designer Marcel Sommer from Tübingen, Florentina Leitner from Vienna, and bag and accessories designer Marie Bernadette Woehrl from Schrobenhausen, Upper Bavaria. All three designers have chosen to work in Antwerp, drawn by the city's creative energy and the strong sense of community in its fashion scene. Detailed portraits of each designer will appear in the coming weeks. But what insights did Fashion Talks 2025 offer? 'The fashion industry is the one that literally touches people most closely—and that will never change,' said Pascal Cools, managing director of Flanders DC, in his opening speech at the seventh edition of Fashion Talks. The event took place at the Arenberg Theater on Arenbergstraat for the first time, moving from its previous venue at the historic Handelsbeurs. Around 450 industry professionals attended the event. On stage, Patta co-founder Guillaume "Gee" Schmidt spoke with host Dominique Nzeyimana, while legendary stylist and creative director Karen Binns discussed her career with podcaster Recho Omondi. Simon Gryspeert of Flanders DC moderated a conversation with fashion CEOs Ann Claes (CRG) and An Kluft (Pluto), who shared troubling observations from a recent trip to Ghana, where large volumes of used textiles continue to accumulate in unmanaged landfills. In addition to supply chain challenges and persistent concerns around sustainability in fashion production and consumption, the Fashion Talks program also addressed media-related topics. Speakers explored how to enter the industry as an influencer or content creator, as well as the often tense relationship between these newer voices and traditional fashion media. Flanders DC brought an ideal guest to the stage in Hanan Bešović. His Instagram account @ideservecouture—well worth following—has earned a spot in the BoF 500, even though the Croatian-born designer only began posting his sharp-witted fashion commentary during the pandemic in 2020. His outspoken posts have placed him on the blacklists of several designers and luxury brands. Still, he accepts this with humor, as he explained to curators Elodie Ouedraogo and Elspeth Jenkins during a lively discussion at the packed Arenberg Theater. Bešović first discovered fashion in 2010 through YouTube videos. The first show he ever watched was Alexander McQueen 's Plato's Atlantis, which he viewed only because Lady Gaga's Bad Romance video was scheduled to premiere at the end. That moment sparked his passion for fashion. Soon, designers such as Marc Jacobs, Olivier Rousteing, Jean Paul Gaultier, and John Galliano for Dior filled his screen. 'I didn't know much about the designers or the brands. I only knew they existed—but not that each had its own story,' he recalled. Bešović attended his first live fashion show in 2022: a Valentino couture presentation in Venice. 'There's a legend that at least one person cries at Valentino shows—and in this case, that person was me,' he admitted. He views his work as a content creator as fundamentally different from that of print journalists. 'I just go and talk.' Bešović also noted that print media can face credibility issues due to advertising relationships. 'You won't read honest criticism in Vogue. If I want an honest opinion on a show, I turn to social media.' Yet ironically, Vogue has already interviewed him. 'That's how it goes,' he said with a smile. Are influencers themselves beholden to brands? 'I always speak my mind. I'm not afraid. Brands don't have to invite me to their shows. I have wifi at home—I'll watch the show anyway,' he said. Brands often provide scripts when collaborating with influencers on paid content. 'I understand their perspective, but no one knows my content better than I do. I know what works, and I tend to work better with brands that understand that.' Bešović also acknowledged that print journalists enjoy greater access to designers. 'There are 700 people at a show, but maybe only 10 who get to go backstage and speak with the designer.' At the same time, he pointed out that social media offers far broader visibility. 'Without social media, we wouldn't know Robert Wun or Benchellal.' His advice to aspiring content creators applies to anyone in the media field: 'Do what you like. Don't follow others—find your own path. Do your own research, and go where no one else goes.' Later in the day, Bešović returned to the Arenberg Schouwburg stage to interview Charlotte De Geyter, co-founder and creative director of womenswear label Bernadette Antwerp, during the closing session of Fashion Talks.


France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Netflix to invest 1 bn euros in Spain productions to 2029
"Over the next four years we plan to invest over one billion euros in Spain," Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said at an event in the company's studios near Madrid. "With this investment, we will be able to contribute even more to the Spanish economy, create more Spanish jobs, tell more great stories made in Spain," he said, standing alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The event marked the 10-year anniversary of Netflix's presence in Spain. It opened its studios there -- the first ones outside the United States -- in April 2019, shortly after finding global success with the Spanish crime series "Money Heist". Since then, it has turned the 22,000-square-metre (236,800-square-foot) studios into one of its main sites for film and TV production in the European Union. According to Netflix, its activity in the country supports more than 20,000 jobs.


Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
Celebrities react to LA protest against ICE detention policies
Following Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, artists have been speaking out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids and offering support to protestors in LA. As reported by Euronews, Trump deployed another 2,100 National Guard members and 700 US Marines, in what the authorities have dubbed Task Force 51 meant to "provide continuous coverage of the area" as unrest in Los Angeles continues. Many celebrities posted messages on social media supporting the protestors and criticising the National Guard's deployment, including Eva Longoria and Mark Ruffalo. Longoria took to Instagram to express her frustration and described the actions as 'Un-American', while Ruffalo shared a lengthy message to Instagram with the caption: "When you have working class people going after the poor and other working class people you know you are living in an oligarchy." He added: "The billionaire up at the top is stealing you blind, and you are worried about the poorest of the poor ruining your life? You are pointing your guns in the wrong direction... The president is a grifter." Ruffalo's post went viral, racking up to 200,000 likes—including from other celebrities, including Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry. Une publication partagée par Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong posted a scene from one of the LA protests to his Instagram over the weekend, which he captioned with a middle finger emoji and an ice cube emoji, while Tyler, The Creator wrote on his Instagram Story: 'FUCK ICE.' Singer and actress Reneé Rapp also condemned ICE's actions, writing: 'Fuck ICE fuck this administration fuck all of yall who are complicit in ensuring that this happened this is a fucking disgrace.' One of the most notable reactions came from Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Finneas, brother of Billie Eilish, who attended the 'very peaceful protests' himself and claimed to have been teargassed by authorities. 'Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown. They're inciting this,' he wrote on Instagram. Finneas also reposted a clip that appeared to show a reporter, Lauren Tomasi, being shot in the leg with a rubber bullet by law enforcement while she was reporting from the scene. The heated situation has also prompted a fierce political backlash. Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to announce his plans to sue the federal government over the National Guard deployment, calling it 'an unconstitutional act.' "This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard. The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA (California). It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him."