Millie Bobby Brown has been on quite the rollercoaster ride – going from one of the most well known child stars on TV to becoming a trad wife who has ‘no friends’ and prefers to live on a farm in Georgia rather than mingle with other A-listers in Hollywood.
The actress, now 20, was skyrocketed into the spotlight practically overnight after she was cast in the wildly popular Netflix show Stranger Things at only 12 years old.
The series transformed Millie into a massive sensation almost immediately, but being thrust into the pubic eye at such a young age was not easy for the star.
She has been honest about the harrowing dark sides to child stardom, once revealing that she developed serious ‘anxiety’ and started having ‘panic attacks’ due to the immense pressures that come with fame.
While she gained a strong legion of fans after Stranger Things debuted, Millie has also said that she was subjected to a slew of negative comments as the matured in front of millions.
Over the years, she’s been criticized for everything from the way she has dressed to her behavior during interviews.
She has said that the constant public scrutiny ‘diminished’ her and ‘stripped her down,’ ultimately ‘stunting her growth mentally.’
Millie has also been fiercely honest about how she was ‘sexualized’ from a young age, resulting in immense ‘pain and insecurity.’
Millie Bobby Brown was skyrocketed into the spotlight practically overnight after she was cast in the wildly popular Netflix show Stranger Things at only 12 years old
Since then, she’s had quite the rollercoaster ride journey from one of the most well known child stars to a trad wife lives on a farm in Georgia. She’s seen left in 2016 and right in 2024
Now, after years of dominating headlines and swirling rumors about her personal life, Millie is enjoying a quieter life on a farm in Georgia with her husband, Jake Bongiovi.
She spends her days tending to animals and is studying to be a vet, and while she doesn’t want to quit acting altogether, she admitted in a recent interview with Vanity Fair that she prefers being a ‘trad wife’ to the razzle and dazzle of Hollywood.
As Millie speaks out about the latest chapter in her whirlwind story, FEMAIL has recapped her turbulent journey from start to finish.
From her meteoric rise to fame and her scandal-ridden teenage years to what she’s said about the difficulties of fame and her decision to step back, take a look at the many twists and turns that Millie has endured.
Millie’s meteoric rise to fame: She was thrust into the spotlight practically overnight after she was cast in Stranger Things at age 12
Millie was born in Marbella, Spain, in February 2004, to British parents. She grew up in Bournemouth, England, until she was eight, when she and her family relocated to Orlando
She told Allure that she turned to acting because she ‘struggled with self-identity.’ She said, ‘Even as a young person, I always felt like I didn’t quite belong in every room I was in’
Millie was born in Marbella, Spain, in February 2004, to British parents.
She moved to Bournemouth, England, at age four and lived there until she was eight, when she and her family relocated to Orlando, Florida, so she could pursue her dreams of being an actress.
‘It was like a bug,’ she previously told Variety of her love of acting. ‘I know this sounds crazy, but once I find something I want to do, nobody’s stopping me.
‘If I don’t know how to sew, and I really had that passion to sew, that’s it, I’m going to sew. That’s also with acting. So here I am.’
She also told Allure that she turned to acting because she ‘struggled with self-identity.’
‘I enjoyed being different people because I always struggled with self-identity and knowing who I was,’ she shared.
Millie landed her first role at age nine when she had a brief appearance in the ABC series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (seen)
She then had small parts in the shows Intruders, NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy (seen)
But her big break came in 2016 when she was cast as Eleven in the Netflix show Stranger Things. It skyrocketed Millie into massive stardom practically over night
‘Even as a young person, I always felt like I didn’t quite belong in every room I was in.
‘I also struggle with loneliness a bit. I always felt quite alone in a crowded room, like I was just one of a kind, like nobody ever really understood me.
‘So I liked [playing] characters that people understood [and] people could relate to because I felt like no one could relate to Millie.’
Millie landed her first role at age nine when she had a brief appearance in the ABC series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
She then had small parts in the shows Intruders, NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy.
But her big break came in 2016 when she was cast as Eleven in the Netflix show Stranger Things at only 12 years old.
The series, which broke viewing records on the platform and has since gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon loved by millions, skyrocketed Millie into massive stardom practically over night.
Immediately, her career took off; she went on to star in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, Netflix’s The Enola Holmes Mysteries (left), Enola Holmes 2, and Damsel (right)
In addition to her booming acting career, Millie also ventured into the world of modeling and has worked with brands like Citigroup, Calvin Klein, Moncler, and Louis Vuitton (seen)
She also launched her own line of beauty products, called Florence by Mills, in 2019, and released a novel, entitled Nineteen Steps, in 2023
Immediately, her career took off. She went on to star in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, Netflix’s The Enola Holmes Mysteries, Enola Holmes 2, and Damsel.
In addition to her booming acting career, Millie also ventured into the world of modeling and landed tons of sponsorship deals with brands like Citigroup, Calvin Klein, Moncler, and Louis Vuitton.
She also launched her own line of beauty products, called Florence by Mills, in 2019, and released a novel, entitled Nineteen Steps, in 2023.
Now, she’s currently gearing up to star in the upcoming Russo Brother’s sci-fi movie The Electric State, which will hit theaters next month.
The downsides to being a child star: Millie claimed she was ‘sexualized’ from a young age and subjected to cruel criticism that lead to her having severe ‘anxiety’
Being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age certainly comes with tons of perks, but it also has its downsides, which Millie has been honest about. She’s seen in 2016
While she quickly gained a strong legion of fans after Stranger Things debuted, she has said that she was also subjected to a slew of negative comments as the matured in front of millions
Being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age certainly comes with tons of perks, but it also has its downsides.
It has not been easy for Millie, who has been outspoken about the harrowing dark sides to child stardom.
While she quickly gained a strong legion of fans after Stranger Things debuted, she has said that she was also subjected to a slew of negative comments as the matured in front of millions.
Over the years, she’s been criticized for dressing too ‘adult’ and was slammed for her behavior during interviews.
She once told Variety that she was accused of trying to ‘steal her costars’ thunder’ because she accidentally talked over them, and recalled how adults would call her names like an ‘idiot,’ a ‘brat,’ or ‘stupid’ online when she was just a child.
‘We’re kids – we talk over each other,’ she noted. ‘I was just penalized for over-talking and oversharing and being too loud.
‘It’s hard to hear that at 13. You’re like, “I don’t want to ever talk again. I don’t want to be the loud person.”
‘In interviews I couldn’t help but think of all the comments. So I just remembered to stay silent and speak when I was spoken to, even though I was dying to join in. I just felt it wasn’t my turn.
‘You cannot speak on children that are underage. I mean, our brains physically have not grown yet.
‘To diminish and practically stunt someone’s growth mentally, strip them down, tell them, “Hey, listen, you don’t look that great. Why are you wearing that? How dare you think you can wear that? How dare you say that?”‘
On her 16th birthday in 2020, Millie posted a lengthy note to Instagram in which she reflected on being ‘sexualized’ at a young age.
She once told Variety that she was accused of trying to ‘steal her costars’ thunder’ because she talked over them, and recalled how adults would call her names like an ‘idiot’ or a ‘brat’
On her 16th birthday in 2020, Millie posted a lengthy note to Instagram in which she reflected on being ‘sexualized’ at a young age. She’s seen in 2019
‘The last few years haven’t been easy, I’ll admit that. 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 not ever will I be defeated. I’ll continue doing what I love and spreading the message in order to make change.’
During an appearance on Miley Cyrus’ talk show months later, Millie said she went from being ‘very confident’ when she was first starting out to having ‘really bad anxiety’ that she believed stemmed from people having a ‘lot to say’ about her.
‘Recently, maybe since I turned 15, about two years ago, I just started having really bad panic attacks, like really bad anxiety, and I just struggled with it really bad,’ confessed the star.
She also reflected on the public scrutiny to Allure, admitting, ‘It’s really hard to be hated on when you don’t know who you are yet.
‘It’s like, “What do they hate about me? ‘Cause I don’t know who I am”… Then you just start shutting down.’
During an appearance on Miley Cyrus’ talk show months later, Millie reflected on how she went from being ‘very confident’ to having ‘really bad anxiety.’ She’s seen in 2019
Millie has confessed to having ‘no friends’ and admitted that she didn’t develop ‘the best social skills’ because of her massive fame. She’s seen in 2019
While speaking to Vanity Fair this week, Millie recalled a paparazzi sneaking onto a closed set during a photoshoot and taking ‘invasive, voyeuristic shots of her’ when she was just 13 years old.
‘I didn’t have nothing [on underneath]… It wasn’t too much, but it was enough for it not to be okay,’ she shared.
‘I think, just in general, there should be more laws with the media in terms of paparazzi in terms of exploitation.’
‘I never wanted to be famous,’ Millie added. ‘That was never my thing. I just love acting.’
She also confessed to having ‘no friends’ and admitted that she didn’t develop ‘the best social skills’ because of her massive fame.
‘I don’t have many friends, because of who I am. I didn’t go to school, so I don’t have the best social skills when it comes to people my own age and friendships,’ shared the actress.
‘I struggle with that quite a bit. I missed out on a few things. But I’m working through them.’
Intimate details of her love life thrown into the spotlight: Millie was left ‘publicly humiliated’ after her ex made shocking claims about her online
In July 2021, pictures that showed Millie cozying up to TikTok star Hunter Ecimovic leaked on the web
Hunter, who was 20 years old when they were together, went on to make a series of explicit claims about Millie, who was 16, during a livestream
In July 2021, the intimate details of Millie’s love life were thrown into the spotlight, leaving her ‘publicly humiliated.’
He confessed to ‘grooming’ the star and claimed that they had been in a months-long romance the year before that had since ended
At the time, pictures that showed her cozying up to TikTok star Hunter Ecimovic leaked on the web.
Hunter, who was 20 years old when they were together, went on to make a series of explicit claims about Millie, who was 16, during a livestream.
He confessed to ‘grooming’ the star and claimed that they had been in a months-long romance the year before that had since ended.
A representative for for Millie told DailyMail.com afterwards, ‘Mr Ecimovic’s remarks on social media are not only dishonest, but also are irresponsible, offensive, and hateful.
‘Instead of engaging in a public discourse with him through the press or on social media, we are taking action to ensure that he stops this behavior once and for all.’
While reflecting on the ordeal afterwards to Allure, the Stranger Things alum said she was in an ‘unhealthy situation’ with Hunter throughout 2020 before she ‘walked away’ in January 2021.
While reflecting on the ordeal afterwards Millie said she was ‘publicly humiliated’ by the ordeal and left feeling ‘so out of control and powerless.’ She’s seen in 2020
‘Walking away and knowing that I’m worth everything and this person didn’t take anything from me, it felt very empowering,’ she recalled.
‘It felt like my life had finally turned a page and that I actually had ended a chapter that felt so f**king long.’
But she said that when the images leaked online and he made the shocking comments about her during the livestream months later, it shattered her.
‘When you get publicly humiliated this way, I felt so out of control and powerless,’ said the star.
‘Ultimately, all I wanted to do within my career is help young girls and young people out there know that I, too, go through things.
‘I’m not this perfect person that is selling skin-care products and [who is] in Stranger Things. I absolutely have made wrong decisions.’
Finding her happily ever after: Millie went on to marry Jake Bongiovi and she now enjoys being a ‘trad wife’ on a farm in Georgia
Millie has since found love with Jake Bongiovi, the son of acclaimed musician Jon Bon Jovi, whom she started dating in mid-2021
They tied the knot in May 2024 during a ‘very low-key, romantic affair with their closest family,’ The Sun reported at the time. They’re seen together in 2022
Millie has since found love with Jake, the son of acclaimed musician Jon Bon Jovi. She and the actor and producer started dating in mid-2021 and got engaged in April 2023.
‘After we met, we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side,’ she gushed to The Sunday Times in August 2023.
‘You can’t pinpoint why [someone is “the one”], it’s just the feeling of knowing that that’s the person you want to spend the rest of your time with.
‘I think so much of life is overthinking. The one thing that made clear sense to me was him. So I didn’t really have to do much thinking.’
They tied the knot in May 2024 during a ‘very low-key, romantic affair with their closest family,’ The Sun reported at the time.
They went on to throw a lavish party to celebrate their nuptials in Italy.
Now, they live together on a sprawling farm in Georgia, where she spends her days tending to sheep, goats, cows, horses, and donkeys.
‘After we met, we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side,’ she gushed to The Sunday Times in August 2023
Now, they live together on a sprawling farm in Georgia, where she spends her days tending to sheep, goats, cows, horses, and donkeys
And she joked to Vanity Fair that the ‘trad wife’ lifestyle is not as glamorous as some may think.
‘I’m not doing it for the aesthetic,’ she explained. ‘I’m doing it because I love it.
‘There are maybe some trad wives out there doing it because it seems wholesome, but it is not.
‘If you’re not picking up horse s**t or washing a cow with your bare hands, then that life is not made for you. At all.’
Filming recently wrapped on the final season of Stranger Things, and she confessed that she prefers her slowed down farm life to the razzle and dazzle of Hollywood.
Millie – who has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2018 – is fiercely dedicated to giving back, and has recently turned her focus to helping abandoned animals.
Filming recently wrapped on the final season of Stranger Things, and she confessed that she prefers her slowed down farm life to the razzle and dazzle of Hollywood. She’s seen recently
Millie (seen earlier this month) has recently turned her focus to helping abandoned animals and has launched her own rescue shelter out of her barn
She launched her own rescue shelter out of her barn and has been taking online classes in veterinary studies at Purdue University.
‘I’m able to treat wounds, take their pulse, moderate blood pressure, things like that. I do all their medical records myself,’ she shared.
‘Now I just have to do my externship, which is like sitting in on surgeries and things like that.
‘Adoption campaigns [on social media] are wonderful temporarily, but you really have to get in there and do the work to make a difference.’
But she’s not done with acting for good, as the outlet reported that she hopes to ‘develop films that amplify the stories that are not represented in Hollywood’ with her producer husband.