David Harbour is under scrutiny following serious allegations from his Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, who reportedly accused the actor of bullying and harassing her on set ahead of the show’s highly anticipated fifth and final season, RadarOnline.com reports.
Harbour, 50, known for playing ex-police chief Jim Hopper and Eleven’s adoptive father, was reportedly the focus of an internal Netflix investigation after Brown filed a formal complaint. Sources say the claims did not involve sexual misconduct.
According to insiders, “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.”
Netflix has declined to comment on the probe but is said to be intent on keeping the spotlight on the show’s finale rather than off-screen drama. “It will be a theatrical event,” a source told Radar. “Nothing is going to overshadow this, not even the leading man’s private life.”
Brown, now 20 and one of Hollywood’s top young stars with an estimated net worth of $50 million, reportedly had a personal representative with her on set throughout filming. The first half of Stranger Things’ final season is set to drop later this month, with the second half scheduled for Christmas, and the finale premiering simultaneously in cinemas and on Netflix on December 31. Netflix is banking on the two-part finale to be one of its biggest global events yet.
Meanwhile, Harbour’s personal life has also been in the headlines. His estranged wife, British singer Lily Allen, reportedly supported him during the “brutal” investigation. Harbour has also faced reports of infidelity, which Allen explored in her new album, West End Girl. One track, “Madeline,” references real-life text exchanges with a woman identified as New Orleans costume designer Natalie Tippett, though Allen later clarified the character was a composite of several women.
A source close to the couple said, “Lily went through a lot of pain in private. There were a lot of tears, a lot of angst. She created some of her best art out of that pain. She’s in a great place now and not seeking revenge. She’s really happy and delighted with her fans’ response to the album.”