‘Stranger Things’ creators and Shawn Levy address Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour bullying claims amid premiere buzz

The Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy addressed reports of Millie Bobby Brown’s bullying claims against David Harbour

As Stranger Things celebrated the world premiere of its fifth and final season in Los Angeles, the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, and executive producer Shawn Levy publicly responded to viral reports alleging that Millie Bobby Brown accused her co-star David Harbour of on-set bullying.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet, Ross Duffer declined to comment on “personal onset matters” but emphasized the cast’s long-standing bond.

“We’ve been doing this for ten years with this cast, and at this point they’re family,” he said, standing beside his brother Matt. “Nothing matters more than having a set where everyone feels safe and happy.”

Levy, who directs and executive-produces the Netflix phenomenon, also addressed the swirling rumors and stressed the production’s commitment to safety.

“At the end of the day, that’s the job,” he told THR. “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.”

He added that much of the reporting had been exaggerated: “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.”

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At the finale premiere of #StrangerThings, director and executive producer Shawn Levy calls some of the stories circulating in the news this week — which claim that Millie Bobby Brown accused co-star David Harbour of harassment and bullying — “wildly inaccurate" pic.twitter.com/3RU99THuQm

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 7, 2025

Netflix and representatives for Brown and Harbour have not commented on the Daily Mail report that first surfaced over the weekend, claiming Brown had filed a harassment and bullying complaint against Harbour prior to filming season five.

No sexual misconduct allegations were made, and the outlet reported that Netflix investigated the claims for months before production wrapped.

Despite the speculation, Brown and Harbour appeared together at Thursday’s premiere, smiling for cameras alongside their co-stars as the cast marked the end of the decade-long hit.

The final season of Stranger Things will roll out in three parts: Part 1 arrives November 26, Part 2 on December 25, and the feature-length series finale will debut December 31 on Netflix and in select theaters