Tragic Details About Millie Bobby Brown's Life

The following article contains mentions of mental health issues and child exploitation.

Since rising to prominence as Eleven in "Stranger Things" at just 12 years old, Millie Bobby Brown has found success through a number of endeavors. She's been in movies, created her own cosmetics line, modeled, wrote a book, and became an advocate for mental health awareness and social justice issues. However, it's clear there's still so much the world doesn't know about Millie Bobby Brown.

Since she was very young, it was clear the actor was destined for greatness. As she explained to Allure in 2022, Brown managed to convince her parents to relocate to Los Angeles, where she began auditioning for acting gigs at the age of 8. "My parents were like, 'Well, it is a job. And if you commit to it, you have to commit to it. You can't audition and then give up,'" she remarked. "So I was like, 'I don't care. Whatever it takes, I want to act.'" But as passionate as the "Enola Holmes" star was about performing, there's no way she could have known the difficulty her meteoric rise to fame would present in her life.

From the unconventional upbringing brought on by her acting career to the scrutiny she faced as a young child star, and the difficulties with her mental health she still endures to this day, here are the tragic details about Millie Bobby Brown's life.

Millie Bobby Brown is undeniably brilliant in front of the camera, having showcased her impressive acting chops a number of times in her relatively short career. Her love of performing is clear, and she's even demonstrated her talent as a singer by recording her own album and singing on an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in March 2025; a feat made more impressive by the fact that Brown is partially deaf.

The "Stranger Things" star was born with hearing loss in one ear, but despite using ear tubes as a child, she's gradually lost more of her hearing as time has gone on. Fortunately, this hasn't stopped Brown from following her passion, as she explained to Variety in 2017, "I just started to sing, and if I sound bad I don't care, because I'm just doing what I love." Although she could've been discouraged by this setback, Brown enthused, "You don't have to be good at singing. You don't have to be good at dancing or acting. ... If you genuinely enjoy doing it, then do it."

Before she moved to Los Angeles and began her trajectory toward becoming a major Netflix star, Millie Bobby Brown was just like any normal kid growing up in England. Though she was born in Spain, she and her family relocated to England when she was 4 and spent the next few years attending school there. However, Millie Bobby Brown was unfortunately victimized by bullies.

"I was bullied at school back in England. So, it's extremely important for me to speak out against bullying," she told Glamour in 2019. "I actually switched schools because of it, it created a lot of anxiety and issues that I still deal with today." By the time she was working on "Stranger Things," Brown was educated on set per child actor labor laws. However, this limited her ability to meet people outside of the cast.

Speaking with Vanity Fair in 2025, Brown said, "I don't have many friends, because of who I am." Since she didn't go to a normal school, she explained, "I don't have the best social skills when it comes to people my own age and friendships. I struggle with that quite a bit." While Brown had the opportunity to socialize with her fellow cast mates, they were ultimately separated when the pandemic rolled around in 2020, leading her to feel even more isolated.

Millie Bobby Brown's style evolution over the years has been impressive, as she's begun to show a sense of confidence and maturity. But as poised and coolheaded as many Hollywood stars might seem, they often deal with insecurities. Brown, for instance, has long struggled with her self image — which is completely understandable, seeing as how she grew up in the public eye and faced scrutiny at every turn.

During her 2022 conversation with Allure, the "Damsel" star explained that acting has offered a form of escape for her. "I enjoyed being different people because I always struggled with self-identity and knowing who I was," Brown remarked. "Even as a young person, I always felt like I didn't quite belong in every room I was in." Brown felt misunderstood, like nobody really understood her, leaving the child star to feel as if she were "alone in a crowded room." The actor added, "I liked [playing] characters that people understood [and] people could relate to because I felt like no one could relate to Millie."

Even from the time she was 10 years old, the actor struggled with being true to who she was, as she described a casting director telling her she was "too mature" for her age after an audition, and that it would prevent her from ever finding success in Hollywood. "I got really down about that," she explained.

It's easy to forget that the celebrities we see day in and day out on social media, television, and magazines covers are real people. It isn't uncommon for stars to face heaps of criticism for wearing an unflattering outfit or saying something that comes across wrong. That said, Millie Bobby Brown was just a child when she began receiving harsh reactions for her behavior on press tours for "Stranger Things" from adults who were more than twice her age, no less.

During an interview with Glamour in 2023, Brown recalled how practically every move she made during these press circuits was scrutinized by the public. "We're kids — we talk over each other," she stated. "I was just penalized for overtalking and oversharing and being too loud." For accidentally interrupting her cast mates, internet users claimed she was "trying to steal [their] thunder" and she was labeled "an idiot" and "a brat." Brown had been just 13 at the time, so the comments understandably cut deep. In response, the actor stopped participating as much in interviews and felt like she couldn't give her opinion anymore. "I just remembered to stay silent and speak when I was spoken to, even though I was dying to join in," Brown remarked. "I just felt it wasn't my turn."

The transformation of Millie Bobby Brown has been remarkable, as she's matured from a sweet young prodigy into a talented powerhouse on the screen. But tragically, like many child stars before her — including Emma Watson, Mara Wilson, Natalie Portman, and several others — she's been subjected to outrageous sexual comments from a very young age.

During her 2025 conversation with Vanity Fair, Brown detailed how, while doing a fashion shoot at age 13, a paparazzo took unsolicited photos of her on what was meant to be a closed set. "I didn't have nothing [on underneath]," she said. "It wasn't too much, but it was enough for it not to be okay." Sadly, this was just the tip of the iceberg as Brown's treatment by the public became more lewd and inappropriate over the years.

She received countless sexual remarks online, leading the "Stranger Things" star to finally speak out about it in an Instagram post on her 16th birthday. Alongside a video that highlighted cruel headlines and paparazzi-taken footage of herself, Brown advocated for "kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed" in her caption. "There are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me," she wrote. But, Brown insisted, she would not let these things stop her from doing what she loves.

With social media use on the rise, teens have been experiencing higher rates of mental health concerns. It's become a major issue, especially when it comes to cyberbullying, and it's sadly something Millie Bobby Brown experienced for herself back in 2017 and again the following year. The "Stranger Things" star was forced to make the incredibly mature decision at age 14 to delete her Twitter account after becoming the subject of surprisingly cruel memes.

Back in November of 2017, a series of images of Brown appeared on the site with homophobic captions, formatted as if the actor had written them herself, with a hashtag that called for users to "#TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown." The memes disappeared gradually, but they arose again in June 2018. "Just got this car. It's pride month hoping to hit a few f*****s today," one post read. After deleting her account, Brown enrolled in therapy to deal with the onslaught of online criticism.

Although Brown is still on Instagram and Facebook, she no longer has the apps installed on her phone, but has a team managing her posts. The Hollywood star explained to Allure in 2022, "It's really hard to be hated on when you don't know who you are yet." It's been hard for Brown to understand where all the vitriol has come from, adding, "So it's like, 'What do they hate about me? 'Cause I don't know who I am.'"

The pandemic was hard on a lot of people, especially for those who lost a loved one. Millie Bobby Brown was one of the many impacted, as her beloved dog of nine years, Dolly, died. But what was even more tragic was that the "Stranger Things" star's grandmother Ruth died of Alzheimer's disease, and Brown wasn't able to visit with her beforehand due to COVID-19 restrictions.

While speaking with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on "Today" in 2023, the actor explained how her grandmother inspired her to release her debut novel "Nineteen Steps." As she explained, "When I was younger, I couldn't sleep and so I would crawl into her bed and I would say, 'Nanny, can you tickle my arm and tell me the stories about your childhood?'" Brown said Ruth would recount the stories of her experiences during World War II, many of which were heartbreaking. But, she added, "There is also a lot of humor and a lot of love, community and friendship." The historical fiction book landed on the New York Times bestseller list and Brown got to memorialize these important conversations with her grandmother in a truly special way.

While the glitz and glamor that come along with fame may seem enticing, there's an entirely different side to being a star that Millie Bobby Brown shined a light on in 2020 when she was 16. Aside from the paparazzi who are constantly snapping pics, there's also many fans who don't have much respect for their favorite idols' privacy. After a particularly frightening ordeal, Brown took to her Instagram stories to share the details of an incident with a fan that left her in tears.

"I'm still trying to navigate this all and it's still overwhelming," the Florence by Mills founder began. Brown recounted how she was approached by a fan while she was shopping and the woman asked to take a video of her. Brown said she refused, but things quickly escalated. "I don't need to justify it to anyone; if I don't want to be taken a video of, I don't have to be," she said. Despite telling the fan she didn't want to be in her video, the woman continued filming her. Brown said she tried asking her again to stop, but she argued back. "It just makes me upset when people try to push the boundary, and I just wish people were more respectful," the "Stranger Things" actor explained through tears.

Although today she's happily married to Jake Bongiovi, son of iconic rockstar Jon Bon Jovi, Millie Bobby Brown's relationship history is somewhat complex. She's been previously linked to Romeo Beckham and Jacob Sartorius, both of whom are the same age as the "Enola Holmes" star. But back when Brown was just 16, rumors of a relationship with TikTok star Hunter "Echo" Ecimovic arose after pictures of them kissing were published in 2020. The controversy? The social media influencer was 20 at the time.

Things fizzled between the two in January 2021, and that summer, Ecimovic took to the internet to spout vulgar remarks about Brown. He alleged the "Stranger Things" actor was "in love" with him, that her parents approved of their supposed relationship, and that he'd "groomed" her. He also admitted to having a sexual relationship with Brown — which is considered statutory rape in California, where the age of consent is 18. Understandably, many of Ecimovic's followers turned on him after he made these claims.

Later, during Brown's conversation with Allure, she referred to her relationship with Ecimovic as an "unhealthy situation" and talked about how difficult it was to walk away. "I felt very vulnerable," she said. "When you get publicly humiliated this way, I felt so out of control and powerless." But, Brown explained, ending things with Ecimovic was for the best. "It felt very empowering," the actor concluded.

The sexualization Millie Bobby Brown endured as a kid was tragically just a taste of what was to come, as she became a victim of the predatory 18th birthday countdown. The infamous online tradition, during which perverts celebrate the time a child star becomes a legal adult, has been rife with controversy for decades, with Emma Watson, the Olsen twins, and Lindsay Lohan being just a few notable targets of the exploitative behavior.

While appearing on the "Guilty Feminist" podcast in 2022, Brown discussed how things have been for her since turning 18. "I deal with the same things any 18 year old is dealing with," she began. "Navigating being an adult and having relationships and friendships." Brown described the insecurities she felt and how she's trying her best to fit in, like many young adults do at that age. "The only difference is that, obviously, I'm doing that in the public eye," the actor explained.

Within a couple weeks of turning 18, Brown remarked, "[I'm] seeing a difference between the way people act and the way the press and social media have reacted to me coming of age." However, she added, it's unfortunately something she's been dealing with for the majority of her life in the limelight. "It's gross," Brown acknowledged.

Given all the tragic details Millie Bobby Brown has experienced in her life, it's no surprise she struggles with anxiety. It's something the actor has dealt with for years, which she spoke about on Miley Cyrus' podcast "Bright Minded" in 2020. "When I was 10 and I was in the industry, I was very confident and really didn't care about ... what people would say about me," Brown said. But, after years of criticism and harsh comments online, things changed for her. At the age of 15, the star explained that she began having panic attacks and her anxiety skyrocketed.

Brown has been open about her struggles with anxiety, and even used her acceptance speech at Glamour's 2023 Women of the Year Awards Event in as an opportunity to speak about it. She explained the sense of rejection and loneliness she experienced from reading unkind things about herself online. "The influence of social media and the press had a negative effect on my mental health and anxiety is still a huge battle I'm dealing with today," Brown remarked (via People). "Luckily, with the love and support from my friends and family, I feel strong enough. I do not feel alone anymore."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

As Millie Bobby Brown has grown up, unkind comments about her looks have been normalized in the media. While this criticism has been prevalent throughout her career, things reached a climax after the "Stranger Things" star stepped out on the red carpet at the SAG Awards in February 2025. She debuted blonde locks and an elegant peach-colored gown, and although she looked absolutely stunning, Millie Bobby Brown hasn't been able to escape plastic surgery speculation and cruel commentary about looking "old."

Countless stories were published about the 21-year-old's looks that week, including one titled "Why Are Gen Zers Like Millie Bobby Brown Ageing So Badly" and another called "What Has Millie Bobby Brown Done To Her Face?" The controversy sparked a response from Brown herself, who took to Instagram just a few days later, saying, "I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can't seem to grow with me." She continued, "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 1. And because I don't, I'm now a target."

By standing up for herself, Brown even called out specific journalists who had taken stabs at her looks, adding, "This isn't journalism. This is bullying." Her brave post garnered millions of likes, and fortunately, many have rallied around the actor for speaking out against the hate she'd been experiencing for years.