Stranger Things superstars David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown have been pictured all smiles while executives worked to soothe speculation about tension between the pair.
The on-screen daddy-daughter duo looked comfortable in each other’s company at the Los Angeles premiere of the fifth and final season of the hit Netflix series on Thursday.
It comes after a slew of viral reports emanating from the Daily Mail suggesting Brown, 21, had alleged on-set bullying against her older co-star, 50, while working on the show. Those reports also claim a personal representative accompanied the Eleven actor during filming of the final season.
The timing is awkward for Netflix, which is trying to drum up enthusiasm for the expensive finale of one of its most successful products ever.
Despite the reports, Brown and Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper, looked close on the red carpet, sharing stories and laughing together as they posed for photos.
“It’s been amazing,” Brown said, according to US Weekly. “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.”
The press junket for the season has been underway since Monday, but at the premiere, questions were posed by The Hollywood Reporter about the allegations to the show’s creators, the Duffer brothers.
“Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal onset matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them,” Ross Duffer said, while standing next to his brother Matt. “ So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy.”
Director Shawn Levy was also quizzed about the shock reports. He said he was focused on making people feel safe and fostering a respectful culture on set, where filming wrapped in December.
“At the end of the day, that’s the job,” he told the magazine. “You have to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe, and so we did everything to build that environment. And we’re proud of the fact that we did so.”
“I’ve read a bunch of stories and they range from wildly inaccurate to… there’s so much noise around it. But the truth is that we view this crew and this cast as family, and so we treat each other with respect, and that’s always been bedrock.”
Netflix has yet to speak out on the reports, which claim Brown raised a large complaint.
Nothing of a sexual nature has been referenced in relation to the allegations.
Speaking in 2021 on the podcast That Scene With Dan Patrick, Harbour said of his relationship with Brown, “Millie and I have always had sort of a special relationship because I knew her when she was so young.”
The new season premieres on November 26.
