Millie Bobby Brown has a message for her haters.
In an Instagram video that she shared on March 3, Brown talked about the public scrutiny she’s received around her appearance, most recently at the Los Angeles premiere of her new movie “The Electric State” that took place on Feb. 24.
People on social media commended on her new look, with users saying she appeared to be “aging terribly” and that she looked like a “middle-aged” woman at 21 years old.
Brown initially responded by praising British Vogue for their headline, “No One Cares How Old You Think Millie Bobby Brown Looks,” which she shared in a screenshot on her Instagram stories. Now, she’s opening up about the criticism in a makeup-free video.
“Hi, everyone. It’s Millie,” she began. “I want to take a moment to address something that I think is bigger than just me, something that affects every young woman who grows up under public scrutiny. I think this is very necessary to talk this.
“I started in this industry when I was 10 years old. I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me,” she continued. “Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should still look the way I did on ‘Stranger Things’ Season 1. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.”
Brown then started to read a few headlines from different publications that bashed her looks and she also called out the journalists who wrote them.
“This isn’t journalism,” she said. “This is bullying. The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices, is disturbing. And the fact that some of these articles are written by women makes it even worse.”
She said that while “supporting and uplifting young women” is often talked about, that it’s “easier” to “tear them down” for clicks.
“I refuse to apologize for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman. I will not be shamed for how I look, how I dress or how I present myself.”
Brown talked about how she’s noticed people tend to criticize others instead of pay them a compliment.
“Why is the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice?” she said. “If you have a problem with that, I have to wonder — what is it that actually makes you so uncomfortable?
