A trailer for the long-awaited return of Stranger Things dropped Thursday, but the buzz was quickly eclipsed by unsettling reports from set.
The show’s star, Millie Bobby Brown, reportedly filed a complaint before production on the Netflix series began last January, accusing co-star David Harbour of “bullying and harassment.”
The fifth and final season — an eight-episode run that reportedly cost Netflix more than $400 million — is expected to bring the hit sci-fi series to a close after nearly a decade on air. The upcoming installment has been billed as the show’s most ambitious yet, with creators Matt and Ross Duffer promising an emotional farewell to the residents of Hawkins. But according to reports, production may have been overshadowed by off-screen tensions between two of its biggest stars.
An unnamed source told The Daily Mail that Brown’s filing included “pages and pages of accusations” and led to a months-long internal investigation that has been kept tightly under wraps. The source also noted that “the allegations did not include claims of sexual impropriety.” The outlet did not specify when the investigation began or whether it has since concluded.
Harbour plays Jim Hopper, the gruff but lovable former police chief of Hawkins, who becomes guardian to Brown’s character, Eleven — a telekinetic child test subject whose coming-of-age story lies at the emotional center of the show. Their on-screen relationship, evolving from mistrust to deep mutual care, has been one of Stranger Things’ most enduring storylines.
In 2021, Harbour spoke about the bond he’d formed with Brown after years of working together, noting that he felt protective of her as she navigated fame at a young age. “Millie and I have always had sort of a special relationship because I knew her when she was so young,” he said on a 2021 episode of the That Scene with Dan Patrick podcast. “I have a real protective feeling for her. I worry about her and the fame and all that she has to struggle with.”
But off screen, that dynamic may have become more strained in recent years: Brown allegedly had a personal representative with her on set during filming for the final season, reportedly as a precaution amid the investigation and to ensure a safe working environment.
Netflix, Brown, and Harbour have not publicly commented on the reports.
The allegations come at a turbulent time for Harbour, whose personal life has also been under intense scrutiny. The 50-year-old actor recently finalized his split from British singer Lily Allen after four years of marriage. Allen released her new album West End Girl in October, which includes songs many fans interpret as alluding to the breakdown of their relationship. In one standout track, “Madeline,” she sings, “We had an arrangement / Be discreet and don’t be blatant / There had to be payment / It had to be with strangers / But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.” The lyrics have drawn widespread attention for their raw portrayal of infidelity and emotional fallout. In an interview with The Times of London, Allen said the titular character is fictional — and confirmed when asked that she’s “a construct of others,” rather than a direct reflection of one real person.
Still, sources close to the situation have clarified that the on-set allegations involving Brown are not believed to be connected to Harbour’s divorce from Allen. “Lily supported him throughout it all,” a source told The Daily Mail. “It was a brutal time.”
Netflix remains tight-lipped about the investigation and its fallout. For now, fans will have to wait to see how Stranger Things ends, and whether the real-life tension behind it proves just as dramatic as what happens on screen.
