When the final episode of Stranger Things airs on Netflix on New Year’s Eve it is expected to become the streaming giant’s most–watched show ever.
The two–hour finale, which will also be released in cinemas, marks the end of a series which transformed Netflix from a video rental service into a Hollywood juggernaut and turned an 11–year–old English schoolgirl, Millie Bobby Brown, into global superstar.
As Eleven, a mute child with telekinetic powers, Millie is the beating heart of a show which started when she had just learned to ride a bike and has ended with her as a married mother–of–one running a business empire worth around £40 million.
But far from celebrating the end of Stranger Things at a champagne–fuelled celebrity bash, Millie plans to mark the closing of this chapter in her life quietly, on her sprawling farm in rural Georgia, surrounded by her menagerie of rescue animals.
So why has one of the most in–demand young stars in the world seemingly turned her back on Hollywood?
The answer, say those who know her, is because she has grown up in the public eye and has been subjected to a level of scrutiny, particularly on social media, unlike anything any child star has endured before.
A source who worked with Millie said last night: ‘People expect her to be living in a mansion in Beverly Hills and partying every night. But that’s not who she is. She’s been in the spotlight pretty much half her life. She’s been her family’s main breadwinner since she was 11. She’s been dissected online. Who can blame her for wanting to stay away from all that?’
Today, Millie’s life revolves around her husband Jake Bongiovi, 23, son of singer Jon Bon Jovi and her baby daughter who they adopted in August. The family are so protective that they have yet to publicly announce their daughter’s name.
Millie is the beating heart of a show which started when she had just learned to ride a bike and has ended with her as a married mother–of–one running a business empire worth around £40m
Millie plans to mark the closing of this chapter in her life quietly, on her sprawling farm in rural Georgia, surrounded by her menagerie of rescue animals
Millie promotes her fashion and skincare company Florence by Mills (Mills is her family nickname, Florence the name of her great–grandmother) on Instagram where she has more than 68 million followers.
The friend said: ‘Millie is leading exactly the life she wants, on her farm in muddy boots, surrounded by rescue dogs and goats. She’s never been happier.
‘She’s relishing being a mother and is already talking about expanding her family. This is the calm after the storm.
‘Her professional life has been a roller–coaster.’
Indeed it has.
As Netflix launched the fifth and final season of Stranger Things last month, The Mail on Sunday revealed Millie had filed a complaint of ‘bullying and harassment’ against co–star David Harbour, who plays her adoptive father, ex–police chief Jim Hopper, in the show.
Harbour, in the middle of a messy divorce from singer Lily Allen, has not denied our bombshell report nor have Netflix or Millie, who insisted on having a personal representative on set with her as they filmed the final season.
Yet if any animus remains between Stranger Things’ two lead actors it was certainly not apparent during the global press tour for the final season.
The couple hugged and grinned on red carpets from London to Los Angeles, elegantly sidestepping any questions about their alleged falling out.
A Netflix source said: ‘Millie and David are both professional enough to not put a foot wrong when it comes to promoting the finale. Netflix believes this will be the biggest show ever.’
Millie had filed a complaint of ‘bullying and harassment’ against co–star David Harbour, who plays her adoptive father, ex–police chief Jim Hopper, in the show
If any animus remains between Stranger Things’ two lead actors it was certainly not apparent during the global press tour for the final season (Pictured: The pair together on screen)
The name of Millie’s and her husband’s Jake Bongiovi’s daughter is yet to be announced
For Millie, marriage and motherhood is a welcome respite. In an interview with December’s issue of British Vogue, the 21–year–old said growing up in the spotlight made her distrust people’s motivations.
Calling her husband of nearly two years a ‘beautiful angel’ she said: ‘I am so different from him. I don’t see the best in everyone. I’m always like, ‘What are your intentions?’ because I’ve been jaded by the industry.’
Of the joys of motherhood, she added: ‘It’s been a beautiful, amazing journey. She [her daughter] has taught us so much already. Perspective is a huge thing. Our days are filled with lots of cuddles and laughter and love.’
Her daughter’s name will be kept private ‘until she’s ready to decide for herself,’ Millie added.
‘For me, it’s really important to protect her and her story until she’s old enough to potentially one day share it herself. It’s not my place to purposefully put her in the spotlight unwillingly.’
While Millie has always insisted she put herself in the spotlight willingly she has been equally frank about the dark side of fame.
This newspaper was the first publication to interview her before Stranger Things launched in 2016. I remember meeting her in the marble–floored lobby of The London Hotel, just off LA’s infamous Sunset Strip.
Just 4ft 11in tall she was wearing shorts and a floral T–shirt, her hair shorn into the shaven crewcut which became her character’s trademark. She was tipped for big things but I was still taken aback when Stranger Things became a phenomenon and fans started copying Millie’s severe hairstyle.
The show has spawned a reported $500 million industry of books, comics, online games, clothing lines and merchandise.
Millie burst onto our TV screens in 2016 when the first season of Stranger Things launched
Millie and Jake were married in May 2024, followed by a second ceremony in Tuscany later that year
When we met, Millie had just turned 12 and was very much in charge – but not precocious.
Her father Robert, who had tried his hand at a number of ventures including selling fruit and veg on his family’s market stall in Salisbury, working as an estate agent and running a tooth–whitening company, stood beside her mother Kelly, who proudly described herself as a stay–at–home mum to Millie’s three siblings.
With a maturity beyond her years, Millie insisted her parents return to their hotel room saying she was comfortable doing the interview with me solo, telling them: ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this.’
I’ve interviewed a lot of big–name stars over the course of my career but Millie’s poise and confidence was remarkable.
Over the course of an hour or so, Millie told me how she had a ‘nomadic’ childhood, living in Marbella, Florida and LA before returning to Bournemouth.
She knew she wanted to be an actor from an early age. Far from being pushed into acting, it was Millie, aged eight, who, begged her parents to relocate from Florida to Hollywood after an acting coach told her that was the place to be.
In what seems like a huge leap of faith, Robert and Kelly uprooted their family and moved to a rental apartment near the main studios, betting on Millie hitting big.
The gamble nearly failed to pay off. The family ran out of money and had to borrow from close friends. Millie landed bit parts on shows such as NCIS, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy but her big break eluded her.
‘I was devastated. I wasn’t getting work. I thought I was done,’ she told me. The family made the tough decision to move back to the UK.
But just weeks after they arrived home Millie was offered a new show by a company called Netflix which was attempting to transition from renting movies to producing their own material.
That show was Stranger Things.
When she was promoting her movie The Electric State she was criticised online for dyeing her brunette locks blonde (Pictured with husband Jae Bongiovi)
Millie parlayed her success into roles in other Netflix hits including the Enola Hughes franchise (she earned a reported $10 million, for the third film) and the sci–fi drama The Electric State
Millie sent in an audition tape and was invited to fly back to Hollywood from Bournemouth for a final audition.
She clinched the role and, as a Netflix friend told me, ‘she not only changed her life she became a pivotal character in the rise of Netflix. Stranger Things proved Netflix could create original content. It was foundational to our company.’
Millie parlayed her success into roles in other Netflix hits including the Enola Hughes franchise (she earned a reported $10 million, for the third film) and the sci–fi drama The Electric State.
Some have speculated her full Netflix deal could be as high as $25 million (£18.5 million) as well as the millions she earns from her brands.
A source at the launch of her latest offering, Lip Oil Tint at a mirrored high–rise in LA last month said Millie fly in and out of LA on a private jet: ‘She wasn’t here very long. She came to promote the product but wanted to get home.’
While she is focusing on motherhood for now, the MoS understands the actress is working on a ‘musical project’ set to launch in next year. ‘She wants to show her range,’ the source said.
Millie put down roots in Georgia because Stranger Things was filmed in Atlanta. She said: ‘This is the longest place I’ve been consecutively in my life because of Stranger Things. I grew up here.’
There she runs an animal rescue charity called Joey’s Friends out of her bucolic farm and has 11 dogs, four cats and around 40 farm animals including sheep, goats, cows and donkeys. She is taking classes to become qualified as a veterinarian technician.
One friend said: ‘She hangs out with people who rescue dogs. She goes to the local coffee shop.’
The farm represents a safe cocoon away from the spotlight.
The friend said: ‘Millie is no different from any child star of the past, it’s hard to grow up in the public eye which is why so many child stars run into problems.
‘The difference with Millie is that she’s done it in the era of social media with all the toxicity that involves. People accused her of having plastic surgery when she was a teenager. Every relationship was scrutinised. Every mistake, and there weren’t many, was analysed online.’
Millie has been open about the hurt it caused. When she was promoting her movie The Electric State she was criticised online for dyeing her brunette locks blonde.
She defended herself on Instagram, saying: ‘If me being blonde or wearing more make–up really bothers you, I’m going to address it… get off my f***ing case, you know? I am 21. I am going to have fun and play and be myself.’
For now, being herself involves denim dungarees, muddy wellies and nurturing her vegetable patch.
Stranger Things may be coming to an end, but for Millie Bobby Brown the story is just beginning.
