David Harbour has dismissed reports of a serious fallout with his Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, describing rumours that she filed a bullying and harassment complaint against him as a result of tabloid exaggeration.
In an interview with Variety, Harbour opened up about a Daily Mail report published in November last year that cited an unnamed source claiming Brown had filed a bullying and harassment complaint against him before production began on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
The 51-year-old actor said the headlines surrounding the alleged complaint “came out in a weird way” and were “a weird thing.”
“In this weird world we live in, where sound bites will be created, I’m trying to figure out how to say this...It’s a show that went on for 10 years. We worked together for 10 years during her formative teenage years, playing father and daughter. I don’t know if people have families and friends that you spend a lot of time with for 10 years — you occasionally get in arguments, disagreements,” Harbour said.
Rejecting the narrative that there was a major rift between the two actors, Harbour said he was deeply affected by the reports.
Harbour said he “had a breakdown” after reading the reports. He also described the timing of the story as “weird,” noting that it surfaced a week after his former wife Lily Allen released her album, West End Girl, which was critical of him.
Harbour and Brown portrayed the father-daughter duo Jim Hopper and Eleven throughout the Netflix series, which ran from 2016 to 2025.
Explaining what had actually happened between them, Harbour said the issue was resolved through direct communication.
“It was just a simple rupture-and-repair thing that, once we cleared everybody out of the way and talked to each other, we’re fine. Everyone nowadays is very scared of talking about things. People are very scared of being human. It’s unfortunate, because I don’t know how to navigate this weird media world. But it was completely normal, and we adore each other and always have,” he said.
Harbour also revealed that he and Brown are currently “working on several” new projects together.
Despite speculation of a feud, Harbour and Brown appeared together at the Stranger Things season five premiere in Los Angeles in November.