Millie Bobby Brown Name Drops Writers Who’ve Mocked Her Appearance — ‘This Isn’t Journalism, This Is Bullying’
Brown, who has been in the public eye since the age of 11, called out articles and writers for feeling entitled to talking about her body.
OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES | Shutterstock Actress Millie Bobby Brown is putting her foot down regarding the out-of-pocket and demeaning comments she's received from journalists and the press regarding her appearance at recent red carpet events.
The 21-year-old has been in the spotlight since she was 11 years old after gaining recognition from her role as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things." Since then, Brown has been subjected to hurtful comments from the public, but in a recent video, Brown decided to share how she really feels.
Millie Bobby Brown called out the writers who've mocked her appearance in the press.
Brown recently called out specific articles and writers for their "disturbing" coverage that seems to only be devoted to "dissecting my face, my body, my choices." It comes after there's been a recent rise in articles about Brown's appearance, and she explained that it's important for her to address the "bullying" that she's been receiving in the media.
"I started in this industry when I was 10 years old," Brown said. "I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow up 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."
Brown is taking a stand not just for herself but for all young women facing similar criticism.
Brown pointed out that since her press tour began, she's noticed several articles with headlines that seem "desperate to tear young women down." She claimed that "this isn't journalism. This is bullying."
She even directly read aloud some of the headlines that have been written about her, including, "Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly?" to "What has Millie Bobby Brown done to her face?" and name-dropped some of the writers, like Lydia Hawken and Matt Lucas, the latter of which made Brown quite disgusted by the article, "Little Britain’s Matt Lucas takes savage swipe at Millie Bobby Brown’s new 'mommy makeover' look."
"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," Brown continued.
"Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs. I refuse to apologize 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."
Brown has been subjected to disparaging comments about her appearance since the moment she entered the industry.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a harsh reality for many young women who have grown up in the spotlight. From stars like Selena Gomez to Billie Eilish, these young women have been subjected to unnecessary comments about their bodies and other aspects of their appearance just because they're famous.
Brown's calling out of the writers who've put their names on these articles hopefully dissuades more publications and journalists from thinking it's perfectly reasonable to write such invasive pieces about a 21-year-old woman. As creative people, we need to be held accountable for the narratives that we put out into the world and for how much harm can come from words written on a page.
OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES | Shutterstock
Just because the criticism is about celebrities doesn't make the vitriol any less harsh because they've invited publicity into their lives. Words have real consequences, not just for the celebrities who are subjected to the bullying. The unrealistic assessment of another person's appearance sets a precedent in society, making it somehow okay to judge women if they don't meet an arbitrary level of attractiveness. Women can never be natural enough, young enough, thin enough ... the list goes on.
Brown has previously spoken about being sexualized as a child.
During an appearance on "The Guilty Feminist" podcast back in April 2022, Brown addressed how her coming-of-age story was quite different from the average teenager, which included being sexualized before she was even aware that it was happening.
"I deal with the same things any 18-year-old is dealing with, navigating being an adult and having relationships and friendships, and it's all of those things," Brown said. "Being liked and trying to fit in, it's all a lot, and you're trying to find yourself while doing that. The only difference is that obviously, I'm doing that in the public eye."
Brown admitted that the sexualization of her image was the hardest to navigate. She pointed out that she's noticed a difference "between the way people act and the way the press and social media have reacted to me becoming of age."
"I believe that shouldn’t change anything, but it’s gross and it’s true. It’s just a very good representation of what’s going on in the world and how young girls are sexualized," Brown said. "So, I have been dealing with that, but I have also been dealing with that for forever."
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.