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The Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has responded to media criticism of her appearance, rightfully likening her treatment to bullying.
Millie Bobby Brown has clapped back at recent articles and stories discussing her appearance, describing it as not journalism but ‘bullying’ instead.
She has been doing the rounds over the past few weeks to promote her new film The Electric State. Brown also appeared at the SAG and Brit Awards, where Charli XCX won in five different categories.
Millie shared a video on her Instagram that collated a collection of headlines that made comments on her face, hair, and body, calling out the writers of each article by name. She also mentioned her early beginnings in the public eye.
‘I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me. Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time,’ Millie said. ‘Because I don’t, I’m now a target.’
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The star has faced a barrage of criticism over the past week, with headlines saying she is ‘aging badly’ and even wider discussions about Gen Z skincare and beauty standards. The entire ordeal is depressing, frankly, and a stark reminder of how little the industry has actually moved forward since the nightmare days of noughties tabloid gossip.
Since posting, Millie has received widespread support from fans and friends, with famous faces like Mckenna Grace and Sarah Jessica Parker publicly praising her video.
This isn’t the first time she has faced such intense scrutiny, either. Just last year, a video of Millie holding a carrot and being unflatteringly compared to Wallace and Gromit did the rounds on social media. She responded during a feature piece with GQ, saying that she didn’t want ‘that meme to carry on.’
Millie’s story is unfortunately not an isolated one. Thanks to our phones, TikTok, Instagram, and an overbearing sense of pressure on young people to be stylish and appealing, scrutiny over celebrity appearances seems to be worse than ever before.
That mentality trickles down to our own personal lives and can influence how Gen Z perceive themselves and their peers. Research has indicated that Gen Z has been developing a growing body image problem for quite some time, for both men and women.
