Netflix, 'Stranger Things' Creators Respond to Verbal Abuse Claim
Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators and showrunners of “Stranger Things,” have strongly denied a crew member’s claim that she witnessed abuse by the brothers on the set of the Netflix show.
“We are deeply upset to learn that someone felt uncomfortable on our set,” the Duffer brothers said in a statement.
Peyton Brown, a grip for the show, wrote on Instagram that she would not return for Season 3 of “Stranger Things” because the Duffers created a hostile work environment for women. They “sought out and verbally abused multiple women,” Brown alleged.
Netflix said it looked into the allegation and “found no wrongdoing,” according to a spokesman.
Brown later deleted her Instagram post and reposted it without comments.
Though it did not name any names, a comment on the original post reportedly read, “There was yelling, there were insults, there were threats and people were even fired or forced to quit because of them.”
The Duffer brothers added: “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.”
“Stranger Things” returns for Season 3 in 2019. The show became an instant hit when it debuted in July 2016, and returned for another popular season in October 2017. The Duffer brothers previously worked on “Wayward Pines.”
Related stories
Netflix Is Testing Patches to Gamify Bingeing for Kids
Proposals to Shorten Windowing in France Unveiled
Norm Macdonald Talk Show Lands Netflix Series Order
Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!
