Millie Bobby Brown Made the First Move—And Jake Bongiovi Wasn’t Interested at First

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi are back in the discourse. A new paparazzi clip stirred up the internet, an old interview clip resurfaced, and suddenly everyone has a take on their relationship, their parenting, and who did what when. Here is the short version: she made the first move, they adopted their daughter this year, and they want to keep her off-camera. The noise around that has been loud.

The new clip that got people talking

On November 13, a paparazzi video caught Brown, 21, holding her baby while navigating a crowd of photographers. Bongiovi, 23, hung back slightly, motioning for her to go ahead. That visual alone spun into a debate about his involvement as a partner and dad. The next day, November 14, a tweet from user @sakaiiibackup went viral, framing the moment as part of a larger pattern and noting that Brown was the one who pursued him in the first place.

The older interview that resurfaced

In an older video making the rounds again, Brown explains how things actually started between them. Her version: he can come off direct and reserved, so she told him straight up that she liked him and did not want to mess up their friendship. He called her bold, followed up the next day, and that moved them from friends to a real date. Not exactly a grand mystery, just two people figuring it out.

Where they are now

The couple tied the knot last year after roughly three years of dating and welcomed their first child via adoption earlier this year. They confirmed the news on August 21 and asked for space to enjoy it.

'We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.'

They have also kept their daughter’s name and face off social media. Brown told British Vogue she will not put her child in the spotlight unless her daughter chooses that path on her own. That stance lines up with how they operate in public: a couple quick appearances as a family, but a clear boundary between their kid and the cameras.

How Brown is framing young motherhood

Brown has been open about wanting kids young, saying on the SmartLess podcast that, even as a child, she pictured herself as a mom like her own mother. In her British Vogue cover interview, she described early parenthood as a perspective shift: the small things feel bigger, the days are full of cuddles and laughter, and the joy feels constant. She says she and Bongiovi split parenting 50-50 and calls him a great dad. As for the criticism about getting married at 20 and 22 and becoming a parent at 21, she has mostly shrugged it off: she knew her age would be a target, she is confident in her choices, and she is not interested in arguing with strangers on the internet about it.

Why they are keeping their daughter’s identity private

Brown has been blunt: it is not her call to put a child in the public eye. If, someday, her daughter wants to share her life, they will support that. She also said their home is a 'door is always open' situation and that adoption felt as natural to her as giving birth. So yes, there is a plan here, not a mystery.

Timeline at a glance

• Roughly three years of dating before marriage
• Married last year
• Adoption confirmed on August 21 of this year
• Paparazzi clip that sparked new debate: November 13
• Viral tweet reaction: November 14, 2025, from @sakaiiibackup

My read

The backlash is doing what backlash always does: flattening nuance into a headline. The resurfaced clip makes it sound like Brown dragged a disinterested guy into a relationship; her description feels more like two people who needed a nudge. The paparazzi moment is awkward, sure, but one clip is not a full picture of their dynamic. What does feel consistent: she wanted to be a young mom, they adopted, they are keeping their daughter offline, and they are fine taking heat for it. Whether you love that or hate it, it is clearly the plan.

Thoughts on the privacy rules, the paparazzi moment, or the early courtship story? Drop your take below.