The Shady Side Of Ezra Miller

The following article includes mentions of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and child abuse allegations.

Ezra Miller is a force to be reckoned with. According to ShortList, the star became "the first queer actor to play a superhero," and it's a big superhero at that. Miller joined the DC Universe — one of the most coveted acting jobs on the planet — when they were cast as The Flash in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." The star has since appeared as the character in "Suicide Squad," "Justice League," and The CW series "Arrow." At the time of this writing, they're gearing up for The Flash's stand-alone, eponymous film, set for a 2023 release.

Needless to say, Miller is a big deal, and they've famously used their high profile to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Back in 2017, they told ShortList that they were warned about publicly sharing details of their sexuality but did so anyway. Why? "We are the ones. It's up to us," Miller said, "us to manifest the world we want to exist in." That's a beautiful sentiment, but ... what happened? For most of Miller's expansive career, the star has been regarded as a true artist who unapologetically marches to the beat of their own drum, but some of the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" actor's antics have turned heads and ruffled feathers along the way. 

No one emerges from the era of social media unscathed; however, this celeb seemed to have finally hit peak-controversy in 2022. This is the shady side of Ezra Miller. 

Ezra Miller lives a wildly unapologetic life, and this translated to some legal issues in 2011. New York Magazine reported that the star was shooting "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" when they were pulled over by Pittsburgh police who cuffed the actor for pot possession. Miller claimed, "pot was strewn about, covering me like a quilt," which is decidedly a less conspicuous way to drive around than standing up in the back of a pickup feeling infinite. The Daily Beast reported they were holding on to about 20 grams of the stuff in total.

Miller didn't really see many consequences as a result of the incident. They were hit with disorderly conduct, a $600 fine, and a lecture about influencing the "young extras" on set. And regardless of their personal feelings about cannabis use, Miller didn't exactly learn a lesson about breaking the law, either, telling New York Magazine, "I don't feel like there's any need to hide the fact that I smoke pot. It's a harmless herbal substance that increases sensory appreciation." The actor also advocated for marijuana legalization during their interview with the Daily Beast.

"[Legalization seems] like a fantastic idea, not only for its curative properties, but some of the strongest bridges in Asia are built of hemp, you can put it in granola, endlessly useful stuff," they said. "At this point, it does seem a little silly that we can't keep some in the ol' backyard!"

Ezra Miller is a magnet for controversial roles — whether they're serving as an underage hookup for Amy Schumer in "Trainwreck" or ripping a hole in the "Harry Potter" universe as Albus Dumbledore's brother. In 2011, the star ruffled some feathers when they took the role of a teenage school shooter in "We Need to Talk About Kevin." Zimbio called the film one of "the most controversial movies" available on Netflix, and Vogue described Miller's character as a "seeming sociopath from birth."

Though co-star Tilda Swinton's portrayal landed her a Golden Globe nomination, Miller really went in deep when preparing for the role. The star told Vogue that they couldn't talk to their mother through the process because they didn't "want to impose Kevin" on her or have the duo's solid relationship interfere with the star's character. The ultimate result was a portrayal so unsettling that it bothered some of Miller's friends.

"I do get a certain kind of validation and gratification from the way people will sort of approach me tentatively, with a little bit of fear [after they see the film]," Miller told Vogue. " ... I had a close friend see it, and we went out to some party afterwards. ... I thought we were having a fine time and my friend was like, 'Listen man, I gotta go. It's nothing personal, I love you but I'm just having a really hard time being around you.'"

There's not a whole lot known about Ezra Miller's dating life. They've been linked to a number of rumored A-listers, including Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravtiz, and the actor famously told Out in 2012 that they identify as queer and were "very much in love with no one in particular." At the time, Miller believed that people their age didn't have the tools to be in responsible monogamous relationships, which could be why the star turned to an unconventional dating style. Years later, it still seemed to be working for them.

In 2018, the actor dove deep into their dating life with Playboy, claiming they were in a "polycule," which the outlet described as "a portmanteau of 'polyamorous molecule.'" In simpler terms, this is basically just Miller's group of concurrent romantic partners. These people included the star's band Oddkin (formerly Sons of an Illustrious Father) and, essentially, anyone else the actor votes in — but the criteria for entry is strict.

"I'm trying to find queer beings who understand me as a queer being off the bat, who I make almost a familial connection with, and I feel like I'm married to them 25 lifetimes ago from the moment we meet," Miller told Playboy. "And then they are in the squad — the polycule. And I know they're going to love everyone else in the polycule because we're in the polycule, and we love each other so much." 

Ezra Miller wasn't just a controversial character in the "Harry Potter" universe (seriously, Albus Dumbledore having a brother certainly raised some questions). They also drummed up controversy when they seemingly took a shot at the "Fantastic Beasts" casting department in a 2018 Playboy interview.

A year prior, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" came under fire for casting Johnny Depp in a prominent role. At the time, Depp's ex-wife, Amber Heard, had publicly accused the star of domestic abuse as the pair went through a brutal divorce. The actor denied the allegations, and according to Playboy, "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling defended the casting decision, claiming Heard and Depp had a desire to "move forward." At the time of this writing, of course, the scandal is still kicking, with Heard and Depp both filing appeals for their defamation case. 

Based on the Playboy interview — and Miller's previous outspokenness about the #MeToo movement — it doesn't seem like they wanted to be involved in this sort of scandal. The outlet claimed that the star was "uncharacteristically stymied by" questions about Depp, even though they had "absolutely no problem" giving their opinion on any other topic. The actor ultimately threw some unspecific shade, claiming "none of [the cast] were consulted" about Depp's involvement. Miller also rather vaguely stated, "I would say that literally every single aspect of my reality, inclusive of a lot of things that are not fine with me, are fine with me." Right.   

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

For a long time, it seemed as though Ezra Miller had pretty much avoided most of the scandalous tropes of young Hollywood. Well, disregarding the whole pot arrest thing. While they were filming "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," one of the shadiest things they did was participate in a wholesome dance party with their castmates. Somehow, this turned out to be a problem — and it's not even "Footloose"!

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Miller admitted they went on a "mischievous bonding trip" with co-stars Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. This turned into some good, ol' teenage debauchery, and the group ran around parking lots in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburbs "screaming at the top of their lungs." It was a typical suburban high school experience, but things turned sour when they went back to the hotel for a late night, '90s dance party inspired by the "Perks" movie soundtrack. Not everyone is a fan of '90s jams blasting through a hotel wall.

"We had a four-hour music session 'til 5 in the morning and got a bit of a chastising the next day because a family checked out of the hotel in a hot rage," Miller told the outlet. Clearly, those people didn't appreciate the gift of being awoken by the sweet voice of Emma Watson rocking out in the early morning. Maybe mind the neighbors, next time. Hotel walls are thin.

Much like annoying hotel neighbors by singing to '90s songs a little bit too loud, Ezra Miller's past minor indiscretions seemed largely unintentional. Miller inadvertently corrupted the innocent children of "Moonrise Kingdom" at the star's third Cannes Film Festival in 2012. Hey, it's showbiz. It was only a matter of time.

According to Vulture, Miller — who won the Chopard Trophy for emerging talent alongside Shailene Woodley — was only trying to pay a compliment to Jared Gilman, the lead child actor in the Wes Anderson flick, when they approached the cast outside of a theater and accidentally started cursing like a sailor. "I was so excited about their performances that I accidentally just kept spewing profanities. I was like, 'Great performances. Great f**king job!' [Covering their mouth] 'Oh s**t! Oh f**k! I'm so f**king sorry,'" Miller said. "I just immediately played into the role of film as something that corrupts children, which I felt bad about." 

Miller was just 14 years old when they first attended Cannes for their role in "Afterschool," so they should know a thing or two about being a kid in a grown-up world.

Ezra Miller eventually reached the type of fame that most actors dream of: Starring in a DC Comics film. That's just about as good as it gets, yet the star still rejects the notion of Hollywood and their rising celebrity status, despite all of their success. 

Unlike most A-listers, Miller has no personal social media accounts, though their band has a Facebook and Instagram. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star doesn't reside in Los Angeles, either. For that matter, Miller doesn't even live in a glamorous city like New York or London. They're so far removed from Tinseltown that the actor's living on a farm in an area of Vermont where they spent summer vacations as a child.

Part of the star's cynicism about Hollywood likely has to do with their own painful #MeToo experience, so you can't really blame them. Miller bravely shared the incident with THR, though they didn't call out the director and producer by name. "They gave me wine and I was underaged," Miller said. "They were like, 'Hey, want to be in our movie about gay revolution?' And I was like, 'No, you guys are monsters.' It's a great f**king age of being like, 'You know what? That s**t's unacceptable.' And it's amazing for a lot of us to watch. 'Cause, like, we all knew it was unacceptable when we f**king survived it." Miller added, "That's what Hollywood is. I thought we all knew we were sex workers."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

As a teen, it seems like Ezra Miller flippantly made one of the most important decisions of their life: They dropped out of school completely on a whim. Thankfully, the entire thing worked out, but if it were our parents, we'd probably be grounded for the rest of our lives. 

Speaking with both ShortList and New York Magazine about the decision, Miller admitted they dropped out of their junior year at Hoboken's Hudson School because of a dream involving Beethoven — the composer, not the dog from the '90s flick, although wouldn't that have been amazing? Anyway, the whole thing was extremely serious to the star (in what they describe as their "highly energised, romanticised brain"), and it gave Miller a "burning sense of purpose to make art."

In Miller's dream, Beethoven was crying about how he felt none of his symphonies were any good. Miller encouraged him to write five more. There was also some sort of zombie apocalypse happening, and Miller "woke up in a cold sweat" with the strong sense that they had to drop out. "I think [the dream is] about how it's the responsibility of every artist to make sacrifices and seemingly irrational decisions in order to carve out their little pebble of work to put on the big, like, art kingdom that everyone's been building for so long," Miller told New York Magazine.

Remember when Katy Perry made her own shady headlines for giving a 19-year-old "American Idol" contestant his first kiss on the show? At the time, it was a massive scandal — especially when The New York Times reported that the hopeful contestant was "a tad bit uncomfortable" — but Ezra Miller had a similar incident that seemingly flew under the radar.

In a 2017 video from Comic-Con (via TMZ), Miller — who seemed a bit plastered, in our opinion — was asked by a fan if they were drunk. The star then pleaded their case that The Flash couldn't possibly get drunk because the character's metabolism was so, well, fast. The fan subsequently asked if he could smell Miller's breath as proof, and that's when Miller planted a big, fat kiss on the man's lips. The crowd cheered, and the man appeared to be left absolutely stunned as Miller continued to repeatedly kiss his face. Miller then asked, "How'd it smell?" before walking away.

According to The Forward, the kiss at least looked consensual "based on the fan's non-verbal cues," but it was shocking, nonetheless. Who goes around kissing fans without asking first?

Ezra Miller likes weed. That's something they've made abundantly clear. The actor even smoked up a journalist who was profiling them for Playboy and lit a spliff during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. It almost seems like a requirement in order for the star to give a solid interview, and that's before we bring in their past pot arrest. What we didn't previously know was that Miller has a history of rather bizarre experimentation with substances.

When Miller was 14 years old, they landed their first film role in "Afterschool," and the actor was already an avid smoker at the time, according to New York Magazine. "I would smoke anything back then, man!" Miller told the publication. "Dried bananas, you know, orange peels. Anything that burns, essentially. Tea used to be not for drinking."

During this time, Miller already seemed surprisingly comfortable with their sexuality, too. New York Magazine revealed that the actor "wasn't a virgin" and struggled to be awkward in "Afterschool's" sex scenes — but let's go back to that smoking thing. Can anyone explain the logic behind rolling a cigarette filled with dried fruit?

Along with their work as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Ezra Miller has been an outspoken member and supporter of the #MeToo and Times Up movements. This made it all the more shocking when the actor — who was known for doing so much good — hit headlines for doing something that looked really, really bad. In April 2020, the star cast themselves as the villain when a video surfaced on Twitter that depicted the "Justice League" star seemingly choke-slamming a woman.

According to Variety, the incident went down around 6 p.m. after Miller was approached by a group of "pushy" fans at a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland called Prikið Kaffihús. In the video, a woman gears up for what looks like a play fight. Miller appears to ask, "Did you want to fight?" before grabbing the woman by the throat and pushing her to the ground as an onlooker yells, "Whoa, bro. Bro!"

While it's impossible to tell if Miller was joking from the video, Variety's source claimed it was a "serious altercation," and the actor was escorted off the premises. According to ET Canada, the video was originally posted on Reddit, where someone who claimed to be at the scene alleged that Miller spit on them and staff members, showed them scars from previous fights, and stood outside for "at least 10 minutes" barefoot while bouncers waited for the cops. At the time of this writing, Miller has yet to publicly comment.

It looks like the choking incident wasn't the only shady thing Ezra Miller was up to during their extended visit to Iceland. According to a report from Insider, around the same time, rumors in Reykjavík swirled that the star was running a cult out of an AirBnb. Several women allegedly involved with the situation have come forward to share their story.

Per the report, one woman likened the AirBnb to a "commune" with mattresses spread out on the floor where several people could sleep. She claimed everyone seemed infatuated with Miller, despite their radical mood swings. "I felt like everyone was hypnotized," she said. Another woman allegedly witnessed Miller's rage firsthand. She claimed they would go from "being a friendly host to this really angry person." In one incident, they allegedly became irate when friends tried to change the music.

Beyond the AirBnb, Miller also allegedly rented out rooms in Hótel Laugarbakki, a 56-room hotel located between ​​Reykjavik and Akureyri. There, the actor supposedly took in a woman who struggled with addiction. She claimed the six days they spent together were filled with a type of mental torture, as Miller became increasingly obsessed with her ability to produce children. "Ezra was super manipulative. They kind of had us all under their finger," she said (via Insider). "They were able to twist and pull everything that I thought I knew about the world."

In 2022, Ezra Miller got familiar with Hawaiian police. We're not saying they were on a first-name basis, but they might as well be. The star was arrested twice for two separate incidents — and that's only a fraction of the 10 police calls that Page Six claimed the actor caused within a single month.

Per BuzzFeed News, the first incident arose in March at a karaoke bar in the town of Hilo, Hawaii. Miller reportedly "swore at patrons, disrupted a woman's karaoke set, and lunged at a man playing darts." AP News reported this all went down after a rendition of Lady Gaga's hit "Shallow" apparently sent Miller into a tailspin. They were ultimately booked on charges of disorderly conduct and harassment. What's even more eye-opening is the body-cam footage released by TMZ, in which Miller clearly appeared combative with cops, while claiming they had been assaulted by a Nazi. The star also claimed they filmed the incident, saying, "I film myself when I get assaulted for NFT crypto art."

Fast forward to a month later when Miller was in cuffs again. This time, the actor allegedly threw a chair at a woman, which left a gash in her head. According to BuzzFeed News, Miller was reportedly asked to leave a private residence, got angry, threw a chair, and fled. The woman phoned 911, and Miller was arrested at a traffic stop, where they were charged with second-degree assault.

Ezra Miller faced more legal problems in June 2022 — and these ones were a doozy. According to ET, the star was hit with a protection and restraining order, but couldn't be served because nobody could find them. Two parents accused Miller of grooming and abusing their 18-year-old daughter, Tokata Iron Eyes. In the filing, Chase Iron Eyes and Sara Jumping Eagle alleged that the actor had "used violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata" ever since the Standing Rock Sioux tribal member was 12 years old and met Miller during the NoDAPL protests. Tokata denied these claims on Instagram.

A Massachusetts court then granted another temporary protection order against Miller on behalf of an anonymous 12-year-old, per Fox 29 Philadelphia, after "determin[ing] that there is a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of harassment" following multiple allegedly disturbing incidents between February and June 2022. While speaking with the Daily Beast, the child claimed Miller's inappropriate behavior made them feel "really uncomfortable" and "scared to be around them."

Rolling Stone also reported that Miller was housing a mother and her three children at the star's Vermont farm around this time to protect them from her allegedly abusive ex. However, sources claimed that this living situation created "a chaotic environment that is unsafe for children" due to several unattended guns and excessive marijuana use both on the property. As of this writing, Miller and their rep have not publicly commented on any of these claims.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

It seems as though Ezra Miller's legal problems have finally caught up to them — and their role in "The Flash" may be a flash in the pan. According to Rolling Stone, following the star's arrest in March 2022, decision-makers at Warner Bros. and DC rushed into an emergency meeting to discuss the fate of the actor within the franchise. Apparently, it's not just Miller's arrests that have studio executives feeling skittish. It may also have something to do with their actions on set.

According to an insider who spoke with Rolling Stone, Miller allegedly had behavioral problems while filming the long-awaited movie. They weren't quite violent, and they didn't exactly yell, but the source described the star as clearly "losing it" (whatever that means, though we're picturing an adult temper tantrum). "Ezra would get a thought in [their] head and say, 'I don't know what I'm doing,'" claimed the insider.

Despite the ongoing controversy, it looks like Warner Bros. Discovery has doubled down with support for their star — at least for now. As Variety reported, during a Q2 earnings call in August 2022, CEO David Zaslav expressed his belief in the film. "We are very excited about [The Flash, Black Adam, and Shazam 2]. ... We think they are terrific." Sounds like the studio very much hasn't pulled their backing of Miller's Flash just yet.