'Stranger Things' Showrunners Apologize Following Allegations of Verbal Abuse on Set
"Stranger Things" showrunners Ross and Matt Duffer recently issued a statement containing an apology following allegations that they perpetuate verbal abuse on production crew members in the hit Netflix series.
In the statement, the Duffer brothers said: "We are deeply upset to learn that someone felt uncomfortable on our set."
The showrunners added in their apology that tempers getting "occasionally frayed" was part of the "high-stress nature" in the field of production. With this, the Duffer brothers noted that the set they run should not be "mischaracterized."
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The two men maintained that their set strongly believed "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," the Duffer brothers further explained.
The allegations of the verbal abuse on set came from Instagram user @peytonnbrown, who according to an IMDb listing, had been part of the show's camera department.
Brown's statements can be seen in a post on her Instagram account, which she also meant as a way to honor International Women's Day last March 8. She mentioned the Time's Up movement in it as well. In the lengthy post, Brown claimed: "I personally witnessed two men in high positions of power on that set seek out and verbally abuse multiple women."
The former "Stranger Things" production crew member also announced that she no longer planned to join the filming of the hit Netflix series for its third season to "stand with my sisters" that she implied had been the subject of abuse in their workplace.
The Time's Up movement was initiated by several Hollywood personalities with the goal of providing legal assistance to those who have been victims of sexual assault. It gained much support especially after the massive Harvey Weinstein scandal.
"Women in the film industry are POWERFUL. We will rise and we will scream from mountain tops in support of each other and I will not contribute my time, efforts, and talent to such abusive people. There is too much going on in this world to be regressive," Brown added.
On the other hand, Netflix also commented on Brown's claims and said they had already looked into the complaint "and found no wrongdoing." The entertainment company also expressed its confidence that the Duffer brothers and itself shared the goal of "maintaining a safe, respectful atmosphere on set."
"Stranger Things" is a Netflix Original series that combines science fiction and horror. It is currently on its second season.
