IT was a striking new look that left many of her fans the world over wondering what was going on.
Strutting down the carpet at The Electric State premiere in LA last week was a very different Millie Bobby Brown from the gap-toothed youngster who shot to fame as Eleven in spooky drama Stranger Things.
Millie Bobby Brown’s dramatic new look that the Stranger Things star revealed at the LA premiere of The Electric State – sparking much discussion from critics and fans[/caption]
American fans waspishly suggested the 21-year-old Brit had aged prematurely and had transformed into a “soccer mom”.
“Had to double-check if she turned 21 or 40,” sniped one person on X.
Others cruelly wondered if Millie, who sported dyed blonde hair and a figure-hugging £8,000 gown, had had surgery.
Comedian Matt Lucas likened her to his Little Britain character Vicky Pollard, retweeting a picture of Millie with Vicky’s iconic catchphrase, “No but yeah but”.
Last night, however, Millie blasted back at her detractors, including Matt.
In a post on Instagram, she fumed: “Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs.
‘I will not be shamed’
“I refuse to apologise 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.”
She also let rip at people leaping on Matt’s catty remark, claiming by doing so they were “amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young woman’s appearance”.
In her long Instagram video, which has since been liked by more than two million people, Millie hit out at critics for suggesting she should be “frozen in time”.
She seethed: “I think it’s necessary to speak up about this. I started in this industry when I was ten years old. I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me.
Why is the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice?
Millie Bobby Brown
“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 one. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.
“We have become a society where it’s so much easier to criticise than it is to pay a compliment.
“Why is the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice? If you have a problem with that, I have to wonder, ‘What is it that actually makes you so uncomfortable?’.
“Let’s do better. Not just for me, but for every young girl who deserves to grow up without fear of being torn apart for simply existing.”
Embarrassed Matt — no stranger to remarks about his own appearance — was quick to apologise, taking to his own Instagram page to say sorry for any hurt caused.
After an attempt to explain the significance of his catchphrase quote, he added: “I thought you looked terrific.
“I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you, but I realise it has and for that I apologise.”
Millie’s post quickly attracted support from some of the world’s biggest stars. Sex And The City actress Sarah Jessica Parker commented: “Enormously proud of you. xxx.”
F1 ace Lewis Hamilton wrote: “So truly proud of you Millie.”
British singer Pixie Lott replied: “You are a true class act and I hate that you or any young woman in the spotlight has to deal with this.
“So utterly ridiculous this happens, you are always beyond beautiful inside and out and a million things that should be celebrated and never torn down xxx what a crazy world, love u Millie.”
Under fire for her appearance
Millie is having something of a moment as she blossoms into a fully-fledged member of Hollywood’s A-list
The Electric State, the sci-fi comedy-drama she was promoting when the row erupted, sees her in the lead role alongside Chris Pratt.
The star with husband Jake Bongiovi, who is the son of singer Jon Bon Jovi[/caption]
Matt Lucas likened her to his Little Britain character Vicky Pollard, retweeting a picture of Millie with the catchphrase, ‘No but yeah but’[/caption]
Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci also star in the Netflix movie, which will be released on the streamer in the UK on March 14.
Over her time on Stranger Things, her pay has rocketed from around £8,000 per episode for season one in 2016 to around £10million all in for the fifth and final season, due out this year.
She is already reported to be worth £11million, having also starred in two instalments of the Enola Holmes films, in 2020 and 2022, where she plays the teenage sister of Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes.
She also landed a role in Godzilla: King Of The Monsters in 2019 and starred in Netflix film Damsel last year.
This is not the first time she has come under fire for her appearance though.
After being accused of looking like a 65-year-old, she used Instagram to blast back: “Women grow!! Not sorry about it!”
Rumours have swirled that she’s had everything from a nose job and lip fillers to veneers and even a boob job.
One plastic surgeon, Dr Paul Branwell, suggested last week: “Her cheekbones appear higher and her lips appear fuller, which could be the result of filler.”
January 2017 at the Actors Guild Awards[/caption]
She has never addressed the claims.
A lot has changed since Millie — who presented Sabrina Carpenter with the Global Success Award at the Brit Awards on the weekend — made her acting debut.
As well as revamping her image in recent months, she is also now married.
In May last year, The Sun revealed how she and Jake Bongiovi, who is the son of singer Jon Bon Jovi, had secretly tied the knot.
The couple wed in a low-key ceremony in America in front of close friends and family.
Millie and Jake, 22, a model, started dating in 2021.
Jake popped the question in spring 2023 by hiding a ring inside a shell during a scuba dive.
Jake’s dad, frontman of Eighties rockers Bon Jovi, defended their decision to get married young and said they reminded him of when he and his wife Dorothea married in 1989, having met as teenagers.
Jon previously said of Millie: “I’ve gotten to know her in the last year, she works really hard and she and Jake will grow together in their own way.
“It is an accelerated version of what I went through 40 years ago and I think, with the support of family around them, they’re going to be great together.”
Millie’s dramatic new look comes after she openly spoke about wanting to play Princess of Pop Britney Spears in the singer’s upcoming biopic.
Like Millie, Britney was also a child star who grew up in front of the world’s media.
She also faced backlash after sexing up her image as she moved into adulthood.
Millie told The Drew Barrymore Show: “I think her story resonates with me, growing up in the public eye.”
They have both had their battles to face, but as her Instagram pushback shows, if anyone can cope with the struggle, Millie can.
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2020, back at the Screen Actors Guild ceremony[/caption]
2024 brings a new look for Millie as she promotes Netflix movie Damsel[/caption]
