Duffer brothers of "Stranger Things" respond to verbal abuse allegations
Matt and Ross Duffer, the brothers behind "Stranger Things," have responded to an allegation of verbally abusive behavior on the set of the Netflix hit series. Peyton Brown, a woman who was part of the "Stranger Things" crew, said she will not be returning to the show for Season 3 because she allegedly "witnessed two men in high positions of power on that set seek out and verbally abuse multiple women," she wrote on Instagram. She did not name names; it's unclear if she was referring to the Duffer brothers.
In response, the Duffer brothers told ET in a statement, "We are deeply upset to learn that someone felt uncomfortable on our set. Due to the high-stress nature of production, tempers occasionally get frayed, and for that, we apologize. However, we think it is important not to mischaracterize our set, where we believe strongly in treating everyone fairly regardless of gender, orientation, race, religion, or anything else. We remain totally committed to providing a safe and collaborative working environment for everyone on our productions."
Netflix said they investigated the matter and "found no wrongdoing."
"We looked into the concern that was raised when we heard of the allegation on Thursday and found no wrongdoing. Maintaining a safe, respectful atmosphere on set is important to us, and we know it is to the Duffer Brothers as well," the streaming service said in a statement.
In her Instagram post, Brown said, "I have 11.5 thousand followers who can hear me say this, TIME IS UP. ... I will not contribute my time, efforts, and talent to such abusive people."
Brown was not the only person who said there was abuse on the "Stranger Things" set. Lori Grabowski, a script supervisor on the show, wrote on Instagram, "I am one of those women Peyton referenced. It was very real not only to me, but other women on the set that also want to share their story. Peyton Brown witnessed not only my experience, but the similar experiences of others. I don't know Ms. Brown very well, but what I do know is there is absolutely nothing false about her statement. Myself and other women who are willing to share their stories of our experiences on the set of Stranger Things, are living proof. I was the Script Supervisor of the show for nearly 2 full seasons. I just could not stand by and let Peyton be called a liar, because what she said is unfortunately, very true."
