A Comprehensive Timeline of Ezra Miller's Many Controversies
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Ezra Miller was a promising young actor during their teenage years. After making their debut in Aftershock and following it up with the Oscar-nominated film We Need to Talk About Kevin, Miller was considered a talented, up-and-coming actor. Receiving nominations in Best Supporting Actor and Best Young Actor categories at the British Independent Spirit Awards and the Critic’s Choice Awards for We Need to Talk About Kevin only bolstered the promise of Miller.
Unfortunately, Ezra Miller’s reputation over the last half decade has devolved into something more centered around their controversies than their acting. And after early roles playing troubled youths with violent tendencies, life has began to imitate art. Miller’s various charges and arrests have hindered their career, with many projects halted and delayed, while franchises, like the DC Extended Universe, contemplate the future of Miller's involvement.
Miller stars in The Flash which was released on June 16, 2023 and during the troubled production of the film, apologized for their past behavior. They stated that “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.” Miller continued saying, “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
While Miller claims to be trying to correct their behavior and seek necessary help, there is still speculation over whether their role as the Flash can continue in the DCEU. It was reported previously that Miller might to be dropped from future involvement with the cinematic universe, but the heads of the DC Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran, reassured fans that they have not given up on the actor. Safran said, "Ezra is completely committed to their recovery. We are fully supportive of that journey they are on right now. When the time is right, when they are ready to have that discussion, we will all figure out what’s the best path forward. But right now, they are completely focused on their recovery. And in our conversation with them, in the last couple of months, it feels like they are making enormous progress.”
But how did this all start? Let’s get caught up on the timeline of controversial events centering Ezra Miller.
June 28, 2011 - Disorderly conduct for marijuana possession in Pittsburgh, Penn.
During the filming of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Miller was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct for having 20 grams of marijuana in their possession. They were pulled over while driving in Pittsburgh, Penn. with a broken tail light, and after the cops found the weed, they were charged a $600 fine. Miller later stated in a New York Magazine profile after being charged that they felt “there’s no reason to hide the fact that I smoke pot. It’s a harmless herbal substance that increases sensory appreciation.” They also mentioned that federal legalization of marijuana “does seem like a fantastic idea…it seems a little silly that we can’t keep some in the ol’ backyard!”
April 6, 2020 – Strangling incident in Reykjavík, Iceland
Nearly a decade later on April 6, 2020, a video surfaced on twitter, from an account that has since been deleted, that appears to show Ezra Miller choking a girl at Prikið Kaffihús bar in Reykjavík, Iceland. When the video released it was unclear whether it was a joke, and many on twitter created memes out of the incident. The now-deleted video features Miller grabbing a girl by the throat and throwing her to the ground. The cameraman can be heard off-screen saying “Whoa, bro. Bro!” and abruptly ending the recording.
The woman spoke after controversy erupted online, saying that it started as a joke and that she intended her banter with Miller to be a “bit” before the actor got heated. She told Variety that Miller “was on top of me, choking me, still screaming in my face if I want to fight.” She also recounts Miller spitting in her face multiple times before the fight was broken up by the bartender. A few years later in a Vanity Fair profile, Miller’s representatives stated that Miller was baited into the fight by the group of teens.
March 28, 2022 – Hilo, Hawaii arrest
While in Hilo, Hawaii on March 28, 2022, Miller was arrested after allegedly yelling obscenities at patrons who were singing karaoke at a bar. Police reports stated that Miller had grabbed the microphone from a woman singing and also lunged at a man who was playing darts. The incident happened right after the Academy Awards, where Miller was briefly featured as an audience award nominee. Yet again, Miller defended themselves in the Vanity Fair profile, saying that they were accosted by a Nazi during the incident and were unlawfully persecuted by the police.
March 29, 2022 – Hawaiian residents file restraining order
Very soon after Miller’s incident at the bar, two Hilo residents filed a restraining order against the actor after claiming that they had allegedly burst into their bedroom and threatened them, shouting at the man, “I will bury you and your slut wife.” The couple had allowed Miller to stay in their home during their stay after one of them met the actor at a farmer’s market.
April 19, 2022 – Pāhoa, Hawaii arrest
Just a few weeks later while still in Hawaii, Miller was arrested again for allegedly attacking people. This time the charge was more severe, a second-degree assault charge for throwing a chair and hitting a 26-year-old woman. Miller had been told to leave the premises due to erratic behavior but instead “became irate,” according to police. Miller had already left the venue and was riding through Kea-au when they were stopped at a traffic light. They were charged a $500 fine after pleading no contest in a Hilo courtroom. The judge recounted that Miller signed off in the court by saying “aloha kākou” which is generalized ‘aloha’ greeting to all.
Related: Why Is Johnny Depp Not in Fantastic Beasts 3? A Look at the Story Behind the Scenes
June 2022 – Accusations of grooming
In June of 2022, courts granted protective action against Ezra Miller, who had reportedly been in a relationship with a young girl named Tokata Iron Eyes since 2016 when Miller was 23 and Iron Eyes was just 12. Iron Eyes is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the tribal court issued a temporary order of protection against Miller on behalf of Iron Eyes who is now 18. Iron Eyes had dropped out of school in 2021 and her parents Chase Iron Eyes and Sara Jumping Eagle attributed that to her relationship with Miller. Her parents accused Miller of grooming, violence, and intimidation against their daughter.
Tokata Iron Eyes, however, has defended Miller on several occasions, including when she posted videos on Instagram denying her parents' accusations. Tokata also denied the accusation of Miller’s former music collaborator that Miller was verbally abusive to Iron Eyes saying Miller has “only provided loving support and valuable protection.” Miller has referred to Iron Eyes as an “apocalyptic Native American spider goddess” and themselves as Jesus Christ, saying together they would bring about an Indigenous revolution. Miller has repeatedly referred to themselves as a Native American messiah.
June 12, 2022 – More accusations of grooming
Not long after the incident with Tokata Iron Eyes, Miller was once again accused of abuse and grooming of a minor when a woman and her 12 year old child in Massachusetts were granted a temporary harassment prevention order against Miller. They stated that Miller showed inappropriate behavior towards the non-binary child, having taken an interest in them because of their style and maturity level. Miller reportedly proceeded to uncomfortably touch the child's hips. The mother also claimed Miller “menaced their family” while brandishing a gun.
April 2022 to August 2022 – The Stamford, Vermont farm incident
During Ezra Miller’s March trip to Hawaii, they had reportedly met a woman and her three children. The woman said that she had been abused by her ex-husband and was seeking shelter away from him. Miller then proceeded to transport and house the family in an unlicensed cannabis farm in Stamford, Vermont. Several reports from anonymous sources stated that the children, who were between the ages of one and five, were in close vicinity to both heavy drug use and firearms. Miller allegedly stored several guns and ammunition on top of the children’s stuffed animals and a waitress at a nearby restaurant claimed that Miller blew marijuana smoke in the youngest baby’s face.
The Vermont Police attempted to serve an emergency care order to the mother in August and “demanded the children's removal from her care and the home over fear for their safety.” Both police and social workers were unable to reach her or the children, and Miller told them that they had not been living there “for the past two months.” Police said they felt that Miller’s statement “seemed like an attempt to evade service for the order.”
August 7, 2022 – Stamford, Vermont burglary charge
Vermont Police were notified of a burglary complaint by a Stamford, Vermont resident on May 1, 2022. Police, when entering the property, had found several bottles of alcohol had been stolen from the residence while the owners were not there. Using surveillance video tape, police then attempted to track down Ezra Miller to charge them with felony burglary. The charge officially took place on August 7, 2022.
A week prior to Miller’s planned arraignment date of September 26, their representative stated that the home Miller supposedly burglarized was actually owned by a childhood friend of theirs and that they believed they were welcome to enter as they pleased and borrow some cooking wine. Miller eventually pleaded guilty to trespassing on January 12, 2023, and the charges were eventually dropped.
August 15, 2022 – Treatment
On August 15, 2022, Ezra Miller publicly addressed the string of controversial behaviors and incidents they had been involved in, stating that they were seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues.” They said, “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
What is Ezra Miller doing going forward?
Ezra Miller currently doesn’t have any new projects into production. Outside of The Flash which premiered on June 16, the actor is also involved in the indie-biopic Dalíland, where they play a young version of famed surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. The director of Dalíland has showed support for Miller’s performance and involvement in the film, stating “They turned in a completely realized performance… so it was very upsetting and terrible to read about what happened later. Hopefully they are getting help…”
Will there be a The Flash 2?
Along with heads of the DC Universe James Gunn and Peter Safran, The Flash director Andy Muschietti has also been fully supportive of Ezra Miller’s involvement with the film franchise. Muschietti and his wife Barbara who is a producer on the film, reiterated that he felt Miller delivered a fantastic performance, adding “Ezra gave everything for this role—physically, creatively, emotionally. They were absolutely supreme.”
When asked if Miller would still be in consideration for continuing the role in a sequel film despite fan backlash to their involvement, Muschietti said “If it happens, yes. I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did. The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it.”
It seems that Muschietti hasn’t closed the door on a possible The Flash 2 nor Ezra Miller’s continued involvement with the franchise as its titular character. Hopefully, if or when the next film gears into production, the star will be in a much healthier and happier place.
Next, Ezra Miller's Net Worth: Inside the Controversial Star's Big Paydays
