A Message for Young Women Everywhere

Millie Bobby Brown is advocating for young women everywhere.

A week following the Stranger Things actress’s viral response to naysayers claiming she was aging poorly, I, an ardent fan, found myself wholeheartedly echoing her sentiments. Indeed, she amplified her initial stance, emphasizing that this larger-than-life matter transcends beyond herself.

On Today’s show on March 11, Millie stated, “This isn’t just for professionals; it applies to girls everywhere who sometimes experience targeting or harassment due to their appearance or presentation.

Millie, now 21 years old, found herself in the limelight at the tender age of 9 with her debut acting role in “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” and she quickly gained fame following her breakout performance in “Stranger Things.” This early exposure to stardom taught Millie about the harsh realities of public scrutiny at an extremely young age.

She went on to explain, “It seems I’ve come to understand that if I don’t express it now, and there may never be a perfect moment to do so, then why not go ahead and speak up right away?

Following her decision to share a personal video on Instagram, the actress who portrays Enola Holmes and recently got married to Jake Bongiovi in May, chose to take a brief break from social media. She wasn’t certain about her followers’ reactions to the post.

“I kind of shut my phone off after,” she noted, “because I was a little overwhelmed.”

After resuming use of her phone, she happily discovered a wealth of support from her admirers.

She expressed her joy as people seemed to have established a connection with the video. It took courage to create it, as she wasn’t sure about the response it would evoke, but it’s heartening to witness such positive reactions.

Lately, people on social media have been quite harsh in their scrutiny of Millie’s appearance at the February premiere of her film “Electric State,” questioning any potential cosmetic changes she may have made and critically examining her looks.

Millie expressed in a March 3 Instagram video that she’s been growing up under public scrutiny, and it seems people aren’t growing with her at the same pace. Instead of accepting her growth, they often expect her to remain as she was during the first season of “Stranger Things”. Since she doesn’t look like that anymore, she has become a target for criticism.

Additionally, it wasn’t only online commentators who criticized her looks, but Millie also pointed out numerous news articles that disparaged her for generating more traffic.

Millie expressed her concerns, stating, “This isn’t about journalism; it feels more like intimidation. It’s unsettling to see grown writers scrutinizing my appearance, my decisions, and it’s even more disheartening when some of these articles are written by women.

She finished by saying, “Let’s strive for improvement,” emphasizing that it’s not only about me, but also for every young girl who should be able to mature without the fear of being judged harshly just for being themselves.

For more of Millie’s clapbacks, keep reading…

Since her debut in “Stranger Things” at age 12 in 2016, Millie Bobby Brown has been under greater public scrutiny as she transitions into her twenties. Some fans have commented that she appears and dresses older than her actual age, which Millie addressed in an Instagram video on March 3.

She expressed her frustration by saying, “I grew up in the public eye, and people can’t seem to grow with me. Instead, they expect me to remain the same as I was in ‘Stranger Things’ season one. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.”

She specifically criticized those who she felt were tearing her and other stars down for the sake of gaining attention.

“I refuse to shrink myself to meet unrealistic expectations set by people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman,” she asserted. “I will not be shamed for how I look, how I dress, or how I present myself.”

She concluded her message by urging everyone to do better, not just for her sake, but for every young girl who deserves to mature without fear of being criticized for merely existing.

After her debut at the premiere of “The Electric State” on February 24th, numerous comments about Millie’s appearance flooded her social media platforms, with some questioning her age and suggesting she looks older than expected. For example, one user commented, “I had to double-check if she just turned 21 or 40,” while another said, “She looks older than ever!”.

In response to this criticism, British Vogue published an article entitled, “No One Cares How Old You Think Millie Bobby Brown Looks.” Notably, Millie herself shared the article on her Instagram Story on February 27th with a simple caption, “Thank you.

In response to swift criticism over a selfie she posted on December 29th, Millie, the actress from “Enola Holmes,” was quick to defend herself. She captioned the post on her January 1st Instagram story, “Women age!” showing no regret about it. 🙂

In a 2024 interview held in March, TikTok user Max Balegde questioned Millie, the founder of Florence by Mills, about fans’ speculations that she was losing her British accent. Millie responded, “Let me address that briefly.”

“I’m an actor,” she explained. “I grew up under public scrutiny. I spent my childhood in America and, on set, I act and adapt to fit the role. That’s why I try to mimic others.”

She conceded that her American accent may be more noticeable in certain situations, like when she’s with her fiancé Jake Bongiovi or on a late-night show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. However, she emphasized that her British accent is stronger when she’s in England.

“I don’t do it intentionally,” she added. “I apologize if it offends you. I understand if it does, but please know that I’m doing my best.

After turning 18 in 2022, Millie observed a shift in people’s behavior towards her, which she discussed candidly on “The Guilty Feminist” podcast that April. She spoke about the challenges of growing up as a public figure and dealing with the sexualization of young girls.

Reflecting on an incident when she wore a revealing dress to a red carpet event at age 16, she questioned the focus on her appearance rather than the talent present at the awards show. Since then, she stopped sharing personal details on her social media and aims to use her platform positively, hoping to protect younger girls from the harsh realities of online exploitation.

After turning 18 in 2022, Millie talked about her experiences with being sexualized and facing challenges as a public figure on “The Guilty Feminist” podcast. She recalled an instance where she wore a dress that was criticized for making her appear older, questioning why the focus was on her appearance instead of the talent at the awards show. Since then, she’s chosen to keep personal details off her social media and use her platform to shield young girls from online exploitation.

2025-03-11 23:47

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