Millie Bobby Brown became a star at the age of ten when she starred in the first season of Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things. Now 21, the actress faces a wave of criticism over her fashion choices, which some consider too mature. Over the past few weeks, she has responded multiple times to these critiques.
“I made my debut at ten years old and grew up in the public eye. I don’t understand why, but some people refuse to grow up alongside me and expect me to look like I did in the first season of Stranger Things. And because I refuse to do that, I’ve become their target,” the British actress wrote in an Instagram post directed at those who “dissect [her] face, body, and choices.”
Brown is currently in the middle of a promotional campaign for The Electric State, the costly Netflix film by the Russo brothers, which premieres on Friday—and which, frankly, did not impress us at all. The actress isn’t just referring to reactions from social media users but also to sensationalist tabloid headlines like “Why Are Gen Z Stars Like Millie Bobby Brown Aging So Badly?” or “What Happened to Millie Bobby Brown’s Face?”
“I often hear people say, ‘Oh my God, she looks 40!’ And my reaction is—yes, you’ve known me since I was ten, I get it. But now I’m 21. My face has grown. What do you want me to do?” Brown responded during a podcast, as quoted by Variety, adding that she refuses to let these toxic reactions affect her.
This is far from the first time an actress who found fame as a teenager has had to take an explicit step to signal her transition into adulthood. For example, Anne Hathaway’s topless scene in Brokeback Mountain (2005) sent a clear message that she was leaving behind the adolescence she had spent starring in the two Princess Diaries films.
