NEWS'Stranger Things' Actress Priah Ferguson Denies Rumor That Winona Ryder Made Her Cry
Priah Ferguson cleared the air after a misleading TikTok went viral about a riff between the actress and Winona Ryder.
Dec. 31 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
As Stranger Things fans gear up for the show’s final chapter, a surprising behind-the-scenes rumor briefly stole the spotlight.
Speculation swirled online that Winona Ryder was feuding with younger costar Priah Ferguson, 19.
However, the actress, who plays Erica Sinclair, wasn’t having it, swiftly shutting down the claims and setting the record straight on the supposed on-set “rift.”
Priah Ferguson cleared the air after a TikTok video claimed Winona Ryder made her cry.
In a recent misleading TikTok video, one user claimed Ferguson was discussing a hurtful moment on set with the Beetlejuice star.
"Priah Ferguson reflects on when she overheard Winona Ryder telling the Duffer brothers she 'wants less scenes with Priah' because she thinks her Instagram posts are 'too revealing,'" the overlay text read.
In the video, the young starlet said she was "really sweet in person" and the moment "made her cry" because she is "sensitive" and "shyer than Erica."
At the end of the video, the user added a picture of Ryder, writing, "She has no shame."
The video claimed Winona Ryder didn't want to film scenes with Priah Ferguson.
Setting the Record Straight
Priah Ferguson quickly denied the rumor on social media.
However, Ferguson quickly addressed the video, sharing that the TikTok clip was spliced together from different clips.
"This is not true! Winona is one of the kindest people I’ve met! It’s really sad that people will edit an interview of me that has no correlation to what this caption says," she commented under the video. "Please leave Winona alone! I usually ignore stuff like this, but I’m not going to let anyone come for Ms. Winona."
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The actress said the video was spliced together and untrue.
The Stranger Things star also posted a screenshot of her comment on both her Instagram Stories and TikTok Stories.
"For whatever reason, I can't comment on this page and address this issue. But this is not true!' she wrote again, reiterating what she posted on TikTok.
Ferguson also found that the clip of her talking about crying had come from an interview with The Sit, according to UNILAD.
It was referring to her first audition, not anything Ryder had done.
Per the outlet continued on her Story: "I don’t like when people create false narratives to have someone innocent get dragged or bashed."
She also responded to an Instagram comment asking about the rumor.
"That's not true. She never said that. Winona has been one of the kindest people I've ever met since I've been working in this industry. They twisted this narrative from an interview I did with The Sit," Ferguson wrote.
Priah Ferguson also said Winona Ryder was the sweetest person she's ever met.
Stranger Things Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix, with Volumes 1 and 2 available to watch.
The highly anticipated series finale set to drop on New Year’s Eve at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, ringing in the New Year for fans across Europe in the early hours of January 1.
