Millie Bobby Brown Faces Backlash For Her Opinion On Penn Badgley’s Stalker Character In ‘You’

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You was a flop on Lifetime, but it has discovered a new life on streaming — so much so that the show will return for a second season on its new home, Netflix. Millie Bobby Brown is among those discovering the show on Netflix. The 14-year old Stranger Things actress started watching You earlier this week and posted an Instagram story for her 18 million followers about how much she was enjoying it. It did not go well. Brown started by defending Penn Badgley’s character, Joe Goldberg.

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“So I just started that new show You,” Brown wrote. “He’s not creepy. He’s in love with her, and it’s okay. So I’m obsessed with it, I’m binge-watching it, absolute banger, Netflix.”

People immediately started calling out Brown for what could best be described as a problematic opinion, even though she’s far from alone in her initial feelings about Badgley’s character. It’s so pervasive that Badgley himself has spent time online recently, discouraging fans from identifying with or crushing on his character. Brown, who previously abandoned social media over the summer because of abuse, then defended herself.

“I know everybody’s going to say, ‘Uh, he’s a stalker, why would you support that?'” she wrote. “No, like, he’s in love with her. And it’s just like, just watch the show and don’t judge me on my opinions.”

This is a good time to remember that Brown is still very young and still learning about life. Netflix can use this as an opportunity to put their two stars together to have a conversation that could be beneficial and educational for lots of kids out there who are also taking the wrong things from the show.