Stranger Things and Enola Holmes star Millie Bobby Brown took to Instagram on Monday to share an emotional message about “bullying” she faces from the press, in which she also called out former Little Britain star Matt Lucas.
The 21-year-old referenced in the clip, which was shared to her 63million social media followers, how Lucas, 50, had taken aim at her after she was photographed enjoying a dinner with her younger sister in Los Angeles.
Lucas shared a joke on his own social media last week, posting photos snapped of Brown during the evening out that showed the actress sporting a high updo and a pink zipped sweatshirt along with baggy black trousers.
The comedian compared her to his Little Britain character Vicky Pollard, writing alongside the snaps on X: “No but yeah but” – Pollard’s famous catchphrase.
Millie Bobby Brown shared a post about the ‘bullying’ she faces
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In a candid Instagram post, Brown went makeup-free as she addressed some of the criticisms she has faced since finding fame as a child on the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.
Alongside the video, she penned: “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.”
The lengthy post continued: “I think it’s necessary to speak up about 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.
“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.
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“Let’s talk about the articles, the headlines, the people who are so desperate to tear young women down.”
The actress went on to share article headlines and the authors who wrote them which take aim at her appearance.
Among these was a piece about Lucas’ comments, which Brown described as “amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young woman’s appearance.”
She went on to describe the articles as “bullying,” and labelled the focus on her looks “disturbing”.
The statement continued: “Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs.
“I refuse to apologise 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.
“We have become a society where it’s so much easier to criticise than it is to pay a compliment.
“Why is the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice?
“If you have a problem with that, I have to wonder—what is it that actually makes you so uncomfortable?
“Let’s do better. Not just for me, but for every young girl who deserves to grow up without fear of being torn apart for simply existing.”
Lucas issued a response just hours later, writing on Instagram: “Dear Millie, I just saw your post and wanted to respond, and provide some context. Nearly 25 years ago I co-wrote and appeared in a sketch show called Little Britain.
“There was a character in it called Vicky Pollard, who had blonde hair and always wore a pink top, and in the photo you had blonde hair and wore a pink top so I pointed out the similarity by posting one of her catchphrases.
“I thought you looked terrific and I was mortified when the press wrote that I ‘slammed’ you, firstly because that’s not my style, and secondly because I think you’re brilliant.
“I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you but I realise it has and for that I apologise. Matt.”