Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy is calling out “wildly inaccurate” reports that Millie Bobby Brown filed a harassment and bullying complaint against costar David Harbour.
Levy, 57, was asked about “news of a complaint between two stars on this show” on the red carpet at the world premiere of Stranger Things season 5 on Thursday, November 6. “How do you handle something like that on set, and make sure everyone feels safe and respected?” Levy was quizzed by The Hollywood Reporter.
“At the end of the day, that’s the job — you have to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe,” the executive producer and director said. “So we did everything to build that environment, and we’re proud of the fact that we did so.”
Levy added, “I’ve read a bunch of stories and they’ve ranged from wildly inaccurate … there’s so much noise around it, but the truth is that we view this crew and this cast as family, so we treat each other with respect, and that’s always been [the] bedrock.”
The Daily Mail reported on Saturday, November 1, that Brown, 21, “filed a harassment and bullying claim” against Harbour, 50, “before they started shooting the last season.”
According to the U.K. newspaper, Brown claimed she was bullied and harassed by Harbour on set, but the complaint did not include allegations of sexual misconduct.
Us Weekly previously reached out to Brown, Harbour and Netflix, but they did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The parties involved have not publicly addressed the allegations.
However, Brown and Harbour put on a united front at Thursday’s Stranger Things season 5 premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The pair were spotted posing for photos and hugging and joking around on the red carpet as they greeted fans.
Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour’s Quotes About Working Together
In a red carpet interview with Extra, Brown gushed over reuniting with Harbour at the event.
“It’s been amazing. We’re so lucky to have each other. The show means so much to the both of us, and to everyone here. This has been the last 10 years of our lives,” she said.
In Stranger Things, Brown plays Eleven, a role she originated when she was 10, while Harbour plays her adoptive father, Jim Hopper.
Brown has previously spoken about growing up on the Stranger Things set and expressed her desire to move on.
David Harbour Calls Stranger Things’ Season 5 Finale the Show’s ‘Best Episode’
“When you’re ready, you’re like, ‘All right, let’s do this. Let’s tackle this last senior year. Let’s get out of here,’” she said of shooting season 5 in an October 2023 interview with Glamour.
“Stranger Things takes up a lot of time to film and it’s preventing me from creating stories that I’m passionate about. So I’m ready to say, ‘Thank you, and goodbye,’” she added.
In a more recent interview with Empire, Brown spoke about her bond with Harbour, revealing that they “connected on another level” from the beginning of production.
“He always looked out for me and I always annoyed him like a daughter or younger sister,” she said. “I was always trying to climb all over him and he was always rolling his eyes and laughing at me. I think that’s kind of how the El and Hopper relationship really started to develop in the show — it was mirroring our actual lives and our actual relationship.”
