Stranger Things creators break silence on misconduct allegations against David Harbour & Millie Bobby Brown
NetflixFollowing on from Lily Allen’s explosive new album about her split with David Harbour, an allegation has surfaced that Millie Bobby Brown accused her Stranger Things co-star of misconduct. But Shawn Levy has since shut down the claims. Warning: This article discusses adult themes.
For the uninitiated, Lily Allen, a British pop singer, and Jim Hopper star David Harbour were married for four years. But at the end of last year, rumors surfaced that the pair were going through issues, which was confirmed (and then some) with the October 2025 release of Allen’s album.
‘West End Girl’, her first album in seven years, tells the story of the breakdown of their relationship, including the issues she faced going into an open marriage, alongside allegations of cheating, gaslighting, and sex addiction.
The release date is intriguing: it arrives just one month before Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 lands on Netflix. And now, Harbour is facing altogether different allegations surrounding Eleven star Millie Bobby Brown, but now the show’s director and producer has clapped back.
Did Millie Bobby Brown accuse David Harbour of misconduct?
NetflixThe allegations originate from a Daily Mail report from November 1, 2025, claiming that Brown filed a complaint against Harbour stating that he “bullied and harassed” her. However, not only are the claims unverified, but director Shawn Levy has now described them as “wildly inaccurate.”
According to the report, the complaint was made before Stranger Things Season 5 started shooting, sparking an internal inquiry. The outlet states that the outcome of the alleged investigation is unknown, but the “allegations did not include claims of sexual impropriety”.
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A source told the publication, “Millie Bobby Brown filed a harassment and bullying claim before they started shooting the last season. There were pages and pages of accusations. The investigation went on for months.”
The Eleven star reportedly had a representative on set for the final chapter of the hit Netflix series. However, as said, there is no official confirmation, as no documents have been shared and Netflix declined to comment on the situation.
The source did claim that Netflix’s silence is telling, stating that the streaming service “will never comment on an internal investigation, but the fact they’ve not denied it speaks volumes.”
“Stranger Things helped put Netflix on the map. Millions of fans around the world have been anticipating the finale. No one wants anything to take attention away from that,” they added.
They went on to tell the Daily Mail that Allen supported Harbour throughout the alleged ordeal. “Lily supported him throughout it all. It was a brutal time,” they said.
However, at the Stranger Things Season 5 premiere on November 6, director and executive producer Shawn Levy told The Hollywood Reporter that the production team “makes sure everyone feels safe and respected.”
“At the end of the day, that’s the job. You have to create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe, and so we did everything to build that environment. And we’re proud of the fact that we did so.”
“I’ve read a bunch of stories and they range from wildly inaccurate to… there’s so much noise around it,” he added. “But the truth is that we view this crew and this cast as family, and so we treat each other with respect, and that’s always been bedrock.”
Meanwhile, Matt Duffer told the outlet, “Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal onset matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them.
“So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy.” Both Brown and Harbour appeared on the red carpet together looking happy in each other’s company, which has only confirmed in many fans’ minds that the allegations are false, although this is yet to be verified.
What happened between Lily Allen and David Harbour?
Before allegations surfaced involving the Stranger Things actors, Allen and Harbour’s four-year marriage came to an end. The couple had reportedly been living apart for months, but Allen’s October album ‘West End Girl’ made the split official – and public.
Across 14 tracks, Allen details the breakdown of their relationship, starting with her reluctant agreement to an open marriage and her feelings of being trapped and gaslit. In the fourth song, ‘Tennis’, she recalls finding texts on her husband’s phone from a woman called “Madeline” – the name of the next track.
In ‘Madeline’, she talks about how his relationship with this woman broke the rules of their agreement, describing how she confronted her husband’s mistress for answers. But arguably the most damning tracks are ‘4chan Stan’ and ‘Pussy Palace’.
In the former, Allen mocks her husband, describing him as a “4chan Stan” after finding out he’d been buying his mistress expensive gifts. In ‘Pussy Palace’, she recalls visiting her husband’s West Village apartment, only to discover “sex toys… lube” and condoms, calling him a “sex addict.”
Although ‘West End Girl’ contains details about her real marriage to Harbour, Allen has revealed that elements of the album are fictional.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, she said, “I don’t think I could say it’s all true – I have artistic license. But yes, there are definitely things I experienced within my relationship that have ended up on this album.”
Madeline identity revealed
Instagram: @natalie_tippettMadeline is a pseudonym for Natalie Tippett, a costume designer Harbour reportedly met on the set of the 2023 Netflix movie, We Have A Ghost. Her identity was confirmed by the Daily Mail, which spoke with the 34-year-old last month.
When asked about Allen’s album, Tippett replied, “Of course I’ve heard the song. But I have a family and things to protect. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I understand this is going on. It’s a little bit scary for me.”
In the song ‘Madeline’, Allen mimics Tippett’s American accent while reading a conversation they had, with the latter suggesting the affair “has only ever been about sex. I can promise you that this is not an emotional connection.”
The outlet asked Tippett if she knew her texts were being used as lyrics, to which she replied, “Yeah. I just don’t feel comfortable talking about it at the moment.”
Has Harbour commented on the situation?
Not directly, but in a new interview with Esquire about Stranger Things Season 5, Harbour spoke about “the pain and the slip-ups and the mistakes” of his life.
Creative CommonsThe topic of conversation came up when he was asked if there was anything he’d change about his past now that he’s 50 years old. “That’s such a hard question – the question of regret, or something,” he replied.
“I would change either everything or nothing. You either accept your path completely and realise that even the pain and the slip-ups and the mistakes are all part of the journey, and that there’s truth and growth, wisdom and deeper empathy and connection in all that.
“It’s kind of like a house of cards, the minute you try to change one thing you kind of have to change it all.
“[As an artist] it’s about incorporating your life into something that you can give to other people so that they can have a cathartic response to their lives. If you’ve never been through anything, what do you really have to offer?
“If I were to change anything I’d change everything, and just make my life happy and silly and like, whatever, and then I wouldn’t be an artist anymore. And that would suck.”
Stranger Things fans slam allegations after Season 5 premiere
Although the allegations surrounding Millie Bobby Brown divided opinion, the pair’s appearance at the Stranger Things Season 5 premiere have led many to belief they are entirely false.
Taking to Reddit before the premiere, one wrote, “Waiting for Variety or Deadline to report on it. Daily Mail is way too tabloid.” Another agreed, “I’m still waiting for this to be corroborated by actual reputable entertainment reporters.”
A third added, “Same. Right now with Lily Allen’s recent album drop (btw it’s great) his reputation is in shambles, Daily Fail loves to jump in and make sh*t up about people during those moments. I’ll wait until a more reputable publication reports on it before believing it has any validity.”
However, others were leaning more towards believing the claims, with one stating, “I don’t disagree with not blindly believing the Daily Mail because they are terrible but it is interesting that nobody involved has released a statement (denying it or otherwise).”
Another said on X/Twitter, “It’s quite disgusting that people are saying Millie Bobby Brown’s allegations against David Harbour are probably not true. Is it so hard to believe that a 50 year old man harassed and bullied a 20 year old girl?”
But as others have responded, “I’ll believe her with some PROOF. Ain’t gonna believe anyone’s word willy nilly.” Another said, “Need some official proof.”
Since the Stranger Things Season 5 premiere, many fans are even more convinced that the Brown allegations are incorrect. One wrote on Reddit, “I guess this is their way of squashing the rumors. Happy to see this, shame on Daily Mail.”
Another wrote, “She called him dad today at the red carpet and said she share a much closer bond as if he is like her dad. Shame on those for spreading rumours.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 drops on Netflix on November 26, with Part 2 arriving on Christmas Day and the finale on New Year’s Eve 2025. Until then, check out the characters most likely to die, our ranking of the best Stranger Things episodes, and the new shows coming to Netflix this month.