Netflix held a screening of the season 5 premiere of Stranger Things last night, and the media, along with everyone else in attendance, was watching two of the show's stars very closely following a recent tabloid report.
According to The Daily Mail, Millie Bobby Brown (21) filed a bullying and harassment claim against David Harbour (50) before filming began on season five. There were said to be “pages and pages” of allegations, but no sexual impropriety was mentioned. Brown was reportedly accompanied by a personal representative while shooting her scenes.
It's always best not to put too much stock in any tabloid report, but to be fair, this story was picked up by several trades, which could be viewed as an indication that there might be something to it.
At any rate, Brown and Harbour were all smiles and hugs at the premiere, posing for photos and chatting about their working relationship during interviews. Neither addressed the supposed accusations, but series co-creator Ross Duffer had the following to say to THR.
“Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal on-set matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them. So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy.”
Executive producer Shawn Levy added:
“At the end of the day, that’s the job. You have to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe, and so we did everything to build that environment. And we’re proud of the fact that we did so. I’ve read a bunch of stories and they range from wildly inaccurate to…there’s so much noise around it. But the truth is that we view this crew and this cast as family, and so we treat each other with respect, and that’s always been bedrock.”
Wildly inaccurate, to... what? Though many have now dismissed the Daily Mail report entirely, others still feel that there might be something to it. Whatever the case may be, all parties involved now seem ready to move on.
Are you ready to fully disregard these rumors? Drop us a comment down below.
"The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."
Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay). New to the cast for Stranger Things season 5 are Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise), newcomer Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux (Joe Pickett).