David Harbour Admits He and 'Stranger Things' Costar Millie Bobby Brown Have 'Been Through a Lot' After Bullying Claims Spread

David Harbour gave rare commentary about his relationship with Millie Bobby Brown amid allegations of harassment and bullying.

In a behind-the-scenes interview from Stranger Things Season 5, the actor, 50, admitted he has “been through a lot” with his costar.

Harbour broke down his relationship with the 21-year-old on and off the screen.

“We’re very close, Millie and I. We’ve been through a lot together,” he disclosed. “We’ve been doing the show together for 10 years. I can’t even parse out what’s me and what’s Hopper’s overprotectiveness around her. They start to blend in and meld together.”

In the series, Harbour plays former police chief Jim Hopper, who takes Eleven, a child with special powers, under his wing.

“Everybody loves Hopper and Eleven. He’s missing a daughter, and she’s missing a father,” he explained. “I think it’s been a dynamic that, in the series, has been so important and so vital, ever since the first season when Hopper left Eggos in the box for her.”

A November report revealed Brown filed a “harassment and bullying” claim against her costar ahead of filming Season 5 of Stranger Things in January 2024.

“There were pages and pages of accusations," a source dished to an outlet. “The investigation went on for months.”

However, in an interview with Deadline, shared to TikTok on November 28, the Enola Holmes alum insisted she felt “safe” working with Harbour.

“Of course, I felt safe,” she expressed. “We’ve worked together for 10 years. I feel safe with everyone on that set.”

“We also play father and daughter,” Brown added, “so naturally, you have a closer bond than the rest, because we have had some really intense scenes together, especially in season two.”

In another interview, the starlet stressed the importance of putting on a united front with the Violent Night alum.

“We’ve been doing that for the last 10 years,” she said. “I mean, we have always been united in that. We love this show with everything, and we value our friendship more than anything.”

Brown thought it was “really exciting” to reunite with Harbour for Season 5.

“It was quite nostalgic because it reminded me so much of Season 2 and 3, where we’re both kind of butting heads and she’s growing up, she’s trying to find her own voice and he’s trying to parent, and that dynamic definitely comes back into play once again, and I’m really excited for people to see that,” she said. “And I think some of people’s favorite scenes of Eleven are El and [Hopper], so I’m really excited to have that come to screen once again.”

Harbour has been outspoken about his special bond with Brown over the years, including on the "That Scene with Dan Patrick" podcast in 2021.

“Millie and I have always had sort of a special relationship because I knew her when she was so young. I knew her before any of this big fame hit. I have a real protective feeling for her. I have a real, like, worry,” he said. “I worry about her and the fame and all that she has to struggle with. And I've just always felt this kind of deep fatherly affection for her.”