Millie Bobby Brown is no stranger to the relentless gaze of public scrutiny, and neither is Sabrina Carpenter. As the two young actresses chatted with British Vogue for their December issue, Brown shared a heartfelt moment from earlier this year, when Carpenter provided her with a comforting embrace backstage at the Brit Awards.
The incident occurred in March, just before Brown presented Carpenter with an award. As the Enola Holmes star sat in the hair and makeup chair, overwhelmed by the vitriolic comments she had received following the Electric State press tour, she cried. In an effort to pay homage to the film's nostalgic '90s aesthetic, Brown and her stylist Ryan Young had decided to channel Pamela Anderson's iconic blonde bombshell look. However, Brown's platinum blonde locks and statement looks were met with negativity online, and she became the target of relentless online bullying.
Carpenter, who is no stranger to online criticism herself, saw Brown backstage and offered her a hug and words of wisdom. "Truly, always, her mentality is very much like 'F**k 'em'," Brown told the magazine. "I knew that inside of me, but when you hear someone else say it, you're like, 'Yes! That's it!'"
Brown's journey to superstardom began at just 12 years old, when she landed the role of Eleven on Netflix's Stranger Things. A lot has changed since then, and Brown has grown and matured as a result. Like many young women who come of age in Hollywood, she has experimented with her appearance, from the color of her hair to her choice of clothing. The difference is that she has done so in the public eye.
"I understand that there are paparazzi, even though it's invasive and feels like shit to me—I know that's your job," Brown told British Vogue. "But don't, in your headline, slam me at the get-go. It is so wrong and it is bullying, especially to young girls who are new to this industry and are already questioning everything about it."
A few days after the Brit Awards, Brown addressed the criticism in a video she posted on Instagram. "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 wrote in her caption. "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."
Brown continued, "We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when the time comes, it seems easier to tear them down for clicks. Disillusioned people can't handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs. I refuse to apologize for growing up."
Brown appears to be living life on her own terms: The Florence by Mills founder and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, announced that they had adopted a baby girl this past summer. "We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy," read Brown and Bongiovi's joint Instagram post.
