Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour seemingly had a reason for posing together at the Stranger Things season 5 premiere amid ongoing bullying claims.
“The goal in these situations is to make it no worse,” an anonymous crisis PR executive told Variety on Friday, November 7, insinuating that the actors’ appearance was meant as damage control to quiet the recent accusations.
Brown, 21, and Harbour, 50, were spotted hugging when they both arrived at the Thursday, November 6, red carpet premiere before jointly posing for photos with the rest of their Netflix costars.
Brown and Harbour’s red carpet reunion comes on the heels of an alleged harassment investigation on the set. Both Variety and The Daily Mail have reported that Brown filed a complaint while filming season 5, accusing Harbour of bullying. Neither Brown, Harbour nor Netflix have responded to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour’s Quotes About Working Together
During Thursday’s premiere, Brown and Harbour each gushed over their on-set bond. (Brown plays Eleven, who is the adopted daughter of Harbour’s Jim Hopper.)
“It’s been amazing,” Brown told Extra of reuniting with the Thunderbolts actor. “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 continued, “I’ve been living every day like it’s the first day on set, and maybe that’s what’s made me hold onto every moment for dear life.”
As for Harbour, he told Entertainment Tonight that he’s been so “proud” to act alongside Brown through the years.
“I adore her, and I’ve been proud to watch all of them grow up and become such great artists,” Harbour told the outlet. “This particular project is so special, and we’ve gotten to know each other so deeply.”
Stranger Things producer and director Shawn Levy, for his part, denied any accusation of harassment when he walked the red carpet on Thursday.
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“At the end of the day, that’s the job — you have to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe,” Levy, 57, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We did everything to build that environment, and we’re proud of the fact that we did so.”
Levy further insinuated that the reports into Brown’s complaint were “wildly inaccurate.”
“There’s so much noise around it, but the truth is that we view this crew and this cast as family,” he said. “We treat each other with respect, and that’s always been [the] bedrock.”
Ahead of the harassment accusations, both Brown and Harbour spoke about their time filming together in respective magazine cover stories.
“They’re all pretty good kids. Maybe it’s just because I’m sober, I’m sure everyone’s doing them, but it just feels like kids are not as substance-abusive as my generation was,” Harbour told Esquire UK earlier this month. “One of the real ropes to hang on to in this business for me has been the artistry of what you’re doing.”
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He continued, “There are things that are just so beyond your control — whether or not you get box office, or whether or not people like you. All of these things are way beyond your control. But one of the things that you can control is your particular passion for storytelling, for art, for what you want to say, your voice.”
Brown, for her part, had told Empire that Harbor “always looked out” on the set, starting in season 1.
“I always annoyed him like a daughter or younger sister,” she told the outlet. “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.”
Stranger Things season 5 premieres on Netflix Wednesday, November 26.
