Stranger Things Season 5: 4 Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour Moments That Make Feud Rumors Fall Apart

Stranger Things fans woke up to a headline nobody had on their bingo card: reports claiming Millie Bobby Brown has filed a bullying complaint against her on-screen dad, David Harbour. With the fifth and final season looming, it is... not the vibe people expected. And yes, the timing is wild.

What is actually being reported

Right now, the chatter is being driven by the Daily Mail, a tabloid that is notorious for splashy headlines and, to put it politely, inconsistent fact-checking. Multiple media-credibility trackers rate the outlet as questionable. Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything, and neither has the cast. So treat this as unverified until someone with actual skin in the game (or legal paperwork) says otherwise.

Why this hits a nerve

On and off screen, the Hopper/Eleven bond has been the emotional spine of Stranger Things. Fans have spent years watching David Harbour lean into his protective-dad energy and Millie Bobby Brown talk about him with real affection. Which is why these new claims feel like a harsh left turn from the public picture we’ve seen.

The history between them, in plain view

Back around Season 3, Millie told Entertainment Weekly that the heavy Hopper/Eleven scenes hit hard because she and Harbour were close and she trusted him. She did not hold back on how she viewed him at the time:

"He is just one of the greatest men. I think something I admire about David is he respects girls and women so much."

Harbour, for his part, has worn the TV dad badge proudly. In a People interview, he joked about how he wants her to keep pushing as an artist long after Hawkins is in the rearview:

"My hope for Millie always and my focus with her always, is that I want her to be an artist, so when I'm in the nursing home, she can bring me her Oscars so I can look at them and stuff like that."

Off-camera, their vibe has often matched the show. During Season 4, Harbour popped onto Instagram Live from set, and Millie crashed it with a deadpan: "Get off of Live and go back to work!" It was chaotic, friendly, and very much a Hopper-and-El moment without the 80s bangs.

Go back further, to New York Comic Con in 2016, and they were already bouncing off each other with early-days filming stories, ribbing each other in a way that felt comfortable and familiar. That rapport wasn’t new; it’s been visible for years.

Harbour has also spoken about the younger cast with a level of caution that reads sincere, not performative. He told HollywoodLife that working with Millie brought out a protective love he doesn’t often experience in his life, and later told The Hollywood Reporter he worries about what fame does to developing minds, and tries to treat the kids like kids, full stop.

So, what do we do with the headlines?

Two things can be true at once: allegations of bullying are serious, and the current reporting is coming from a tabloid with a spotty record. Without confirmation from Netflix or the people involved, we’re in speculation mode. And the years of interviews, panels, and candid moments paint a much more complicated picture than a hot take on social media.

For context, Stranger Things is four seasons in, created by the Duffer Brothers, sitting at around 8.6 on IMDb and roughly a 92% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The final season is on deck, which makes all of this even messier if you’re just trying to enjoy the endgame.

Where things stand now

Until we hear something concrete, it’s best to keep the pitchforks in the garage. The public record between Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour has, for years, reflected mutual respect and a genuine bond. Whether that’s the full story today is exactly what we don’t know yet.

All seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix.

Thoughts on the Harbour allegations? Keep it respectful and drop them below.