Millie Bobby Brown's "Papa" Officiates Her Wedding Amidst New On-Set Drama

For her wedding to Jake Bongiovi, Millie Bobby Brown desired her "papa" to be present.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this year, Brown, 21, revealed, “The moment Jake popped the question, I declared, ‘I know exactly who should officiate our wedding. It has to be my papa.’” She was referring to her Stranger Things co-star Matthew Modine, known for his role as Dr. Martin Brenner, or “Papa,” in the series.

Brown recounted that her initial phone call to Modine, 66, to inquire about him performing the ceremony was met with a casual “OK, sure.” Yet, upon receiving their wedding invitation eight months later, her follow-up question about his continued willingness to officiate prompted a surprised reaction from him.

She remembered his response: “He questioned, ‘Oh, you seriously intended for me to take on that role?’”

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi officially tied the knot following two years of courtship.

Brown further shared that the nuptials were “perfect.”

“There’s immense pressure regarding how well it will go, and truly, once I arrived, my natural inclination was to oversee everything,” she explained. “However, as I walked down the aisle, it all became incredibly genuine and authentic, devoid of any semblance of a staged event. It was profoundly beautiful and the most significant experience of my existence.”

Modine had previously spoken to Access Hollywood regarding his role in officiating, disclosing in March 2024 that he possessed “a certified license to perform marriages.”

He stated, “Millie believed it would be wonderful, and then Jake agreed it was an excellent concept, so I composed the wedding vows, and they cherished my words as they united in matrimony.”

Brown and Bongiovi, 23, exchanged vows in May 2024, concluding three years of courtship. This past August, the couple revealed they had welcomed their first child, a baby girl, through adoption.

In parallel, Brown and Modine have been collaborators on Stranger Things since production for season 1 commenced in 2015. The British starlet portrays Eleven, a telepathic young girl who flees a research facility managed by Dr. Brenner, whom she consistently calls “Papa” in the show.

According to People, Modine expressed profound admiration for his bond with Brown at a Stranger Things Epic Cons panel held in Jackson, Georgia, in October 2024.

During the event, he remarked, “My connection to Millie is absolute.” He added, “I first encountered her as an 11-year-old on set. I was captivated by that pure-hearted 11-year-old.”

Modine described Brown as “incredibly focused, remarkably determined,” and “exceptionally intelligent,” further stating that their rapport constitutes “a friendship I will cherish indefinitely.”

At their wedding, Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi reportedly performed a six-minute dance inspired by 'Grease'.

Modine isn't the sole paternal presence Brown has found through Stranger Things. She also cultivated a deep connection with David Harbour, who portrays Eleven's adoptive father, Jim Hopper.

In their October issue, she informed Empire Magazine, “David [Harbour, portraying Hopper] and I shared a unique bond.” She elaborated, “He consistently cared for my well-being, and I, in turn, often bothered him like a daughter or a younger sibling. I frequently attempted to clamber onto him, and he would invariably react with an eye-roll and a laugh.”

Nevertheless, reports now indicate friction between the actors playing the onscreen father and daughter. On November 1, an insider informed the Daily Mail that Brown “lodged a harassment and bullying complaint” against Harbour, 50, “prior to the commencement of filming for the final season” of Stranger Things, noting that “the allegations spanned numerous pages” and the subsequent inquiry “extended over several months.”

The publication stated that Brown alleged Harbour had engaged in bullying and harassment towards her during production. Her formal complaint reportedly contained no accusations of sexual misconduct. Brown allegedly had a representative present on the set of the Netflix series, which concluded filming in December 2024.

Neither Brown, Harbour, nor Netflix has publicly commented on these claims. Us Weekly contacted representatives for all three parties for a statement.