By Phoenix Guevara, March 18, 2025
“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown took to social media March 3 to blast journalists for recent coverage on her appearance, raising questions about the media and their history of mistreating young celebrities who mature in the spotlight.
“I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow up with me,” Brown said in her video. “Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time. I refuse to apologize for growing up.”
The 21-year-old actress shared a video on social media voicing her frustration over distasteful headlines like “Millie Bobby Brown mistaken for ‘someone’s mom’ as she guides younger sister Ava through LA crowd” and “Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly?” The video, which has amassed more than 5 million likes, shows Brown calling out the authors of multiple stories and labeling the coverage as bullying.
“I was confused that people would even allow such a comment to go viral,” said Emily Orozco, a biology student. “I also felt confused because she doesn’t even look 40, as the article said.”
Brown’s video not only addressed her personal experience but pointed at society’s tendency to tear down young women for clicks and views. Brown’s experience is not new; it follows a troubled pattern of how the media has treated celebrities for decades, as highlighted in an article from The Ithacan.
“Research on trauma suggests that repeated negative experiences — such as public scrutiny, cyberbullying and media attacks — can lead to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Rachel Baumsteiger, an assistant professor of psychology at Cal Poly Pomona.
The media’s interest in child stars can be traced back as far as the 1930s. In that era, Shirley Temple was best known as America’s sweetheart. During the Great Depression, the media looked at Temple’s appearance as noteworthy coverage. An article from the National Women’s History Museum notes that Temple faced challenges, like many of today’s actors, with the media accepting her in adult roles, which led her to retire from show business early on.
As time went on, the media coverage of celebrities intensified and became even more invasive. During the 1980s and ’90s tabloid era, publications would rush to get out the newest headlines of young stars Drew Barrymore and Macaulay Culkin’s latest troubles. In a later interview with The Guardian, Culkin expressed his frustration about the tabloids, saying that their so-called concern was a front to sell more newspapers.
“Immature journalists, or those who lack professionalism, tend to enjoy the process of building someone up only to destroy them later,” said Jack Fong, a sociology professor at CPP. “It is their fix, their sense of power.”
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears were all notable victims of the media’s harsh coverage during the early 2000s. The press heavily reported on their appearances, with emphasis placed on legal status.
Lohan’s infamous 2004 Rolling Stone cover captioned “Hot, Ready and Legal!” highlights shady tactics publications would use to exploit young celebrities, with many even being notorious for publishing “countdown clocks” to celebrities’ 18th birthdays.
Although celebrities of all genders face media scrutiny, criticism focused on appearance — in Brown’s case aging — mainly targets women. On the other hand, male celebrities don’t generally bear the same extent of appearance-based scrutiny or sexualization that their female counterparts do.
As a result of this recent case, more discussions have sparked around journalistic rights, ethical obligations and media practices taught in educational institutions.
“If reporting about someone harms them, but the public’s right to know outweighs that harm, then it’s justified,” said Hyungjin Gill, an assistant professor of communication. “In (Millie’s) case, the coverage is not justified; it crossed the line.”
The days of a one-sided battle with no retaliation are over. Unlike earlier eras, today, celebrities have direct access to their audiences and are able to have more control over their public perception. Brown leveraged her Instagram — the platform where much of the criticism circulated — to tell her story and call for change.
Although this freedom is valuable for today’s celebrities, it also comes with the burden of defending against attacks from publications and now the audiences themselves.
“The key is not to correct their approaches but to remind celebrities there is absolutely no need for them to divulge anything about their private lives to anyone or any news outlet at any time,” Fong said.
As celebrities like Brown continue to speak out against the media, it has sparked conversations about media ethics and the history of young celebrity news coverage. Today, public figures have direct access to challenge harmful narratives through social media platforms, highlighting the evolving relationship between the media and celebrities.
Feature image courtesy of Millie Bobby Brown via Instagram
