Millie Bobby Brown shot to stardom with her breakout role as Eleven in the acclaimed Netflix series Stranger Things, but as the Duffer brothers' sci-fi saga hurtles towards its grand finale, the actress has taken a noticeable step back from the spotlight. She has skipped several high-profile promotional events in the lead up to the release of the very last episode – which arrives on streaming on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) through New Year's Day (Jan. 1). She also recently missed a watch party of the concluding chapter with her costars, which raised eyebrows among fans, especially amid on-set bullying and harassment claims.
Several Stranger Things stars gathered at the Paris Theater in New York City on Friday to watch the final episode of the series that they've all been working on for the best part of a decade, but Brown didn't attend the cast celebration. It has now come to light that she had a very valid reason for missing the occasion, as a source allegedly told People that the actress is "still home" with a dislocated shoulder. The reason checks out as, earlier this month, she skipped an in-person appearance on Good Morning America with her costar (and best friend) Noah Schnapp due to the injury. She showed up in a pre-recorded video message at the time, revealing that she had taken "a fall" and that her arm was currently being supported by a sling.
Three days after her video admission, Brown missed another Stranger Things finale event at the Paley Museum in New York City, which was attended by Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, and Jamie Campbell Bower (one day before he made his Broadway debut). A spokesperson for the venue confirmed to People that her absence was due to suffering a "recent injury." Since Brown is still in recovery, she was also forced to drop out of the private screening of the finale, but reportedly "got a link to watch it at the same time" as her castmates.
'Stranger Things' Finale Promises to Bring Closure
Natalia Dyer as Nancy, Joe Keery as Steve, and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan in Stranger Things Season 5
Netflix
The Stranger Things finale marks the end of an era, not only for the cast, but also the viewers watching at home (or in a theater), as the story of Hawkins finally reaches its climax. With a runtime of over two hours, the final episode, "The Rightside Up," is expected to provide definitive answers on the Upside Down's mythology and its wider threat, as well as chronicling the final showdown with big bad Vecna – who could possibly have a shot at redemption before the final curtain closes on the saga. "It doesn't feel like we dropped a storyline – it all connects," Ross Duffer asserted. "We do every last remaining thing we wanted to do with Demogorgons and Mind Flayer and Vecna and the Upside Down and Hawkins and these characters," Matt added, confirming that fans will also find out what the Upside Down actually is. He joked that, "Every season would be like, 'Should we talk about it?' And we'd go, 'No, let's wait.' And then finally, we're like, 'Well, we have to now!'"
Brown was only 11 years old when she was cast as Eleven in Stranger Things, and now, at 21 years of age, the actress has had time to reflect on the series. "I will forever be attached to that show, and I'm proud of it," she stated earlier this year, adding that she will "always be grateful" to the Duffer brothers for hiring her, and for Netflix for "trusting" her with such "an amazing character." Fans will soon be finding out how her character's long-running story arc wraps up, as the finale premieres in select theaters and on Netflix from Dec. 31.
