The last episode of Stranger Things is set to premiere on Netflix on New Year’s Eve, and it’s predicted to be the most popular show the streaming service has ever released.
The two-hour series finale, also coming to theaters, concludes a show that revolutionized Netflix – taking it from a DVD rental company to a major Hollywood player – and launched Millie Bobby Brown, an 11-year-old schoolgirl from England, to international fame.
Millie Bobby Brown, who became famous playing Eleven – a young, silent girl with the ability to move things with her mind – has grown up alongside her character. The show began when she was just learning to ride a bike, and now, as a married mother, she’s built a successful business worth approximately £40 million.
Instead of a big celebrity party to celebrate the end of Stranger Things, Millie plans to spend a quiet moment on her farm in rural Georgia, with all of her rescued animals.
Why has a popular young actress suddenly stepped away from acting in Hollywood?
According to people close to her, the reason is that she’s spent her entire life in the spotlight, facing an unprecedented amount of public attention – especially on social media – compared to other young celebrities.
I’ve followed Millie’s career for years, and honestly, a lot of people get her completely wrong. They imagine this glamorous life of mansions and parties, but that’s just not her. She’s basically grown up in the public eye, and it’s easy to forget she’s been supporting her family since she was eleven years old! She’s been constantly analyzed and criticized online, so I totally understand why she’d want to step back from all of that. It’s a lot to handle, and she deserves some peace.
Millie is now focused on her family: her husband, Jake Bongiovi, who is the son of Jon Bon Jovi, and their baby daughter, whom they adopted in August. They’re very private and haven’t shared their daughter’s name with the public yet.
Millie uses her popular Instagram account, with over 68 million followers, to promote her fashion and skincare brand, Florence by Mills. The name combines a family nickname, Mills, with the name of her great-grandmother, Florence.
Her friend shared that Millie is living her dream life on a farm, happily spending her days with rescue dogs and goats, and doesn’t regret a thing.
She’s really enjoying motherhood and is starting to think about having more children. It feels peaceful now after a difficult period.
‘Her professional life has been a roller–coaster.’
Indeed it has.
Last month, when the fifth and final season of Stranger Things was released, The Mail on Sunday reported that Millie Bobby Brown had filed a complaint against her co-star, David Harbour, alleging bullying and harassment. Harbour plays her on-screen adoptive father, Jim Hopper, in the series.
David Harbour, currently going through a divorce from singer Lily Allen, hasn’t refuted our report. Neither Netflix nor Millie Bobby Brown, who requested a chaperone on set during filming of the final season, have commented either.
Despite any past disagreements, the two lead actors of Stranger Things seemed to be getting along well during the promotional events for the show’s final season.
Oh my gosh, they were everywhere! Red carpet after red carpet, London, LA… they were always holding each other, beaming at the cameras. And it was so obvious they were dodging questions about whether they were fighting! Like, everyone was talking about it, but they just acted like everything was perfect. It was infuriating and amazing all at once!
According to a Netflix insider, Millie and David are handling the promotion of the finale perfectly. Netflix anticipates this will be their most popular show to date.
Millie finds marriage and becoming a mother to be a welcome break. She recently told British Vogue that being raised in the public eye led her to question people’s intentions.
She described her husband of almost two years as a ‘beautiful angel,’ but admitted they are very different people. Unlike him, she tends to be suspicious and questions people’s motives, a result of her experiences in the entertainment industry.
Honestly, seeing her as a mom just melts my heart! She says it’s been the most incredible experience, a truly beautiful journey. And the way she talks about her little girl… it’s everything! She says her daughter has already changed their lives, given them a whole new outlook. Apparently, their days are just overflowing with cuddles, non-stop laughter, and so much love. It’s just… perfect. I’m seriously living for these little glimpses into their life!
Her daughter’s name will be kept private ‘until she’s ready to decide for herself,’ Millie added.
I want to respect her privacy and let her decide if and when she wants to share her story. It wouldn’t be right of me to expose her before she’s ready.
Okay, so Millie always says she chose this life, that she wanted the attention, and honestly, I believe her! But she’s also SO real about how awful fame can be. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and it’s refreshing. She’ll talk about the downsides, the pressure… it’s like she’s not afraid to admit it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, even though she loves what she does. It makes me admire her even more, honestly.
We were the first to interview her before the show Stranger Things became popular in 2016. I recall meeting her in the elegant lobby of The London Hotel, located near the famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.
Millie Bobby Brown is quite short, only 4 feet 11 inches tall, and on this occasion she was wearing shorts and a floral T-shirt. She had a very short, shaved haircut – a style that would become well-known as the look of her character. While people expected her to become famous, I was still surprised by how incredibly popular Stranger Things became, and how many fans began to imitate Millie’s distinctive haircut.
The show has become incredibly popular, leading to a $500 million market for related products like books, comics, video games, clothes, and other merchandise.
When we met, Millie had just turned 12 and was very much in charge – but not precocious.
Millie’s father, Robert, had been an entrepreneur, trying out different businesses like selling produce at his family’s market stall in Salisbury, working in real estate, and even running a teeth-whitening company. He stood with her mother, Kelly, who happily described herself as a full-time mom to Millie’s three brothers and sisters.
Millie, remarkably poised for her age, confidently asked her parents to leave the room, assuring them she was happy to continue the interview with me on her own. She told them, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this!’
Throughout my career, I’ve spoken with many famous people, but Millie stood out with her remarkable poise and confidence.
I was really fascinated listening to Millie share her life story. She described having a pretty unusual upbringing – she was constantly moving around! She grew up all over the place, living in places like Marbella, Florida, and Los Angeles, before eventually coming back to her roots in Bournemouth. It sounded like a really ‘nomadic’ childhood, as she put it.
Millie knew she wanted to be an actor when she was very young. Instead of her parents encouraging her, eight-year-old Millie actually convinced them to move from Florida to Hollywood. An acting coach had suggested it was the best place to pursue her dream.
Robert and Kelly made a big gamble, moving their family to an apartment close to the studios, hoping their daughter Millie would become a star.
Their risky venture almost didn’t work out. The family depleted their savings and had to ask friends for loans. Millie found small roles in popular TV shows like NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy, but she hadn’t yet achieved her major breakthrough.
She was heartbroken because she couldn’t find work and feared her career was over, she shared with me. As a result, her family made the difficult choice to return to the UK.
Only a few weeks after Millie returned home, Netflix – a company shifting from movie rentals to creating its own shows – offered her a new acting opportunity.
That show was Stranger Things.
Millie submitted an audition video and received an invitation to return to Hollywood from Bournemouth for a final tryout.
She landed the part, and a colleague at Netflix explained that it was life-changing for her – and hugely important for the company. Stranger Things demonstrated that Netflix could produce successful, original shows, and it really laid the groundwork for everything we’ve done since.
Millie used her initial success to land parts in other popular Netflix shows, like the Enola Holmes movies (where she reportedly made $10 million for the third film) and the science fiction series The Electric State.
Reports suggest her deal with Netflix could be worth up to $25 million (£18.5 million), in addition to the income she receives from her various brand partnerships.
Someone at the launch event for Millie’s new Lip Oil Tint in Los Angeles last month revealed she travels to and from LA by private jet. They said she didn’t stay long, just enough to promote the product before returning home.
The actress is currently prioritizing being a mother, but sources say she’s also developing a music project expected to be released next year. According to an insider, she’s eager to demonstrate her versatility as a performer.
Millie Bobby Brown now considers Georgia home because the show Stranger Things is filmed there. She explained that she’s lived in Georgia longer than anywhere else, saying, ‘I practically grew up here thanks to Stranger Things.’
She runs an animal rescue, Joey’s Friends, from her peaceful farm. She currently cares for 11 dogs, 4 cats, and about 40 farm animals like sheep, goats, cows, and donkeys. She’s also studying to become a veterinary technician.
One friend said: ‘She hangs out with people who rescue dogs. She goes to the local coffee shop.’
The farm represents a safe cocoon away from the spotlight.
A friend explained that Millie is facing challenges similar to those experienced by other young stars. Growing up with so much public attention is difficult, and that’s often why child actors struggle later in life.
Millie’s experience is unique because she grew up in the age of social media, which can be a very negative space. Even as a young teenager, she faced accusations of getting plastic surgery. Her personal life and any mistakes she made – and she didn’t make many – were constantly examined and discussed online.
Millie has publicly shared how upsetting it was when people criticized her for changing her hair color from brown to blonde while promoting her film, The Electric State.
She responded to criticism on Instagram, telling people that if her appearance – like her blonde hair or makeup – bothered them, they should simply stop focusing on her. She explained that she’s 21 years old and wants to enjoy life and be herself.
For now, being herself involves denim dungarees, muddy wellies and nurturing her vegetable patch.
Stranger Things may be coming to an end, but for Millie Bobby Brown the story is just beginning.
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2025-12-28 03:05