Millie Bobby Brown Claps Back at Criticism of Her Appearance

Millie Bobby Brown is speaking up at harsh media criticism of her appearance and calling out unrealistic beauty standards for young women.

Millie Bobby Brown is standing up against media scrutiny. The Stranger Things star took to Instagram on Monday to call out articles criticizing her appearance during the press tour for her upcoming Netflix film, The Electric State. In a candid video, Millie Bobby Brown addressed journalists by name, condemning the way they have “bullied” and “torn young women down.”

The backlash began after Millie Bobby Brown debuted a blonde ‘90s-inspired blowout while promoting her new movie. While some fans speculated that the look could be a nod to a potential Britney Spears biopic, others focused on her changing appearance. Headlines like “What has Millie Bobby Brown done to her face?” and comparisons to “someone’s mom” quickly spread online.

“I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me,” Millie Bobby Brown, now 21, said in her Instagram post. “Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should look the way I did on Stranger Things Season 1. And now because I don’t, I’m a target.”

She also called attention to the double standards women face in the entertainment industry. “The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices—it’s disturbing,” she said. “The fact that some of these articles are written by women? Even worse.”

Millie Bobby Brown isn’t the first celebrity to speak out against appearance-based criticism. In 2023, Madonna addressed similar backlash after her Grammys performance, calling out the ageism and misogyny that women in Hollywood face.

Despite the negativity, Millie Bobby Brown’s message has received overwhelming support. Her Instagram video, which has racked up 1.6 million likes in under 12 hours, has been praised by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone, Matthew Modine, and Winnie Harlow.

Millie Bobby Brown ended her post with a powerful statement: “I refuse to apologize for growing up. 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.”