- The Stranger Things crew has reacted to an alleged rift between Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour.
- Creators the Duffer Brothers and producer Shawn Levy responded to inquiries at the season 5 premiere.
- An unverified report circulated over the weekend that said Brown claimed Harbour bullied her on set.
The Stranger Things creators and executive producer addressed an alleged rift between stars Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour amid photos from Thursday night’s premiere showing the two stars embracing on the red carpet.
Following an unverified Daily Mail report on Saturday that alleged Brown had filed a “harassment and bullying claim” against Harbour that did not include “sexual impropriety,” Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers and producer and director Shawn Levy have reacted to the claims.
“Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal on-set matters,” Ross Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet. The outlet noted he was standing next to his brother, Matt, during the conversation.
Courtesy of Netflix
He added that “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.”
Levy also didn’t reference Brown or Harbour explicitly, though he told THR that he “makes sure everyone feels safe and respected” because “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,” Levy continued. “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.”
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Netflix, Brown, and Harbour for comment.
Ahead of the sci-fi hit’s final season, both Brown and Harbour have spoken at length about their on-set dynamic.
“We went through so many different emotions,” Brown said at PaleyFest in 2018, according to Refinery 29. “We get angry at each other, we are like father and daughter. We got angry at each other, we would express our feelings on and off the set, and…those scenes were so raw and real that the reward is the scenes.”
Courtesy of Netflix
In a 2021 discussion on the That Scene With Dan Patrick podcast, Harbour noted that he “always felt this kind of deep fatherly affection” toward Brown.
During Thursday’s premiere, Brown and Harbour posed together for photos and videos, smiling as they chatted on the red carpet.
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Harbour also recently made headlines following the release of estranged wife Lily Allen’s latest album, West End Girl, which contained references many interpreted as pointing toward alleged unfaithfulness on Harbour’s part, though the actor isn’t explicitly named in the lyrics.
The first part of Stranger Things’ final season streams Nov. 26 on Netflix.