Millie Bobby Brown Slams The Gross Behavior She Has Been Subjected To Since Turning 18

Millie Bobby Brown's transformation is making headlines again. The British actor is best known for her role as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things," but she began acting when she was 9 years old, starring in television series like "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" and "NCIS," according to IMDb. She also received critical acclaim for her role as Enola Holmes in the Netflix movie of the same name.

Like many child actors, Brown has had to deal with the intense pressures of living in the public eye, with people commenting on the way she looks and acts. Controversy arose ahead of her 18th birthday in February, when numerous forums and social media sites created countdowns to celebrate her becoming an adult, per BuzzFeed News. The behavior has been condemned by many, including Natalie Portman, who experienced her fair share of unwanted attention when she was a teen herself.

Now, Brown is speaking out about how those behaviors have exacerbated since turning 18.

In April, while appearing as a guest on Deborah Frances-White's podcast, "The Guilty Feminist," Millie Bobby Brown spoke candidly about being sexualized as a child and teen star, and noted that the "gross" behavior has continued even after she reached adulthood in February. "I have definitely been dealing with that more in the last couple weeks of turning 18," she said. "[I'm] definitely seeing a difference between the way people act and the way the press and social media react to me coming of age. It's gross."

Brown admitted that the public's hypersexualization of her has been "overwhelming," but noted that it shouldn't take away from her living her life. "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," she said (via People). The only difference, she explained, is that she's "doing that in the public eye." 

This isn't the first time that Brown spoke about the media's treatment of her. After turning 16 in 2020, Brown posted a video on Instagram, outlining the unfair headlines that have been written about her over the years. "I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me," she captioned the post, warning the media and the public to be more forgiving of their coverage toward her, but adding that she'll never be "defeated" by the negative headlines.