Millie Bobby Brown has thrown her strong support behind her husband, Jake Bongiovi, following a wave of online criticism regarding their family dynamic and parenting.
The 22-year-old actress addressed the ongoing backlash during her appearance on the Thursday, June 11 edition of I’m not going to lie podcast with host Kylie Kelce.
Online scrutiny initially intensified in August 2025, when viral paparazzi photographs showed Brown managing a car seat and two backpacks alone.
Social media users quickly targeted Bongiovi, 24, son of rock icon Jon Bon Jovi, accusing him of failing to support his wife during their public outings.
Public criticism of the young couple persisted over the following months, with critics frequently pointing fingers at photos showing the couple. Stranger Things star pushing their daughter’s stroller and taking care of her baby’s belongings while Bongiovi walks alongside her.
In a video clip from the full podcast interview distributed on Instagram and TikTok, Brown directly questioned the public’s reaction, asking when women became unable to hold their own bags and car seats.
She defended her husband by explaining that this perception was simply the result of his own fast pace and logistical planning, rather than a lack of helpfulness on his part.
Brown highlighted a double standard in how the public perceives women’s independence, highlighting the hypocrisy of modern social messages that encourage girls to be self-reliant until they are actually seen with their own affairs.
She expressed frustration that people immediately demand to know her husband’s whereabouts as soon as a woman attends to her own luggage.
Asserting her own abilities, the actress stressed that she is fully capable of doing things on her own, while fiercely defending Bongiovi’s real character.
She made it clear that the public doesn’t actually know her husband, describing him as the most polite and gentle man who would do absolutely anything for her, while fully respecting her independence.
