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‘Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown Hit by Ghostwriter Accusations

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Posted on by Nathan Kamal
Millie Bobby Brown in Stranger Things

Credit: Netflix

Stranger Things breakout star Millie Bobby Brown has just released her debut novel, but now she is being hit by accusations that her book was actually produced by a paid ghostwriter.

Milile Bobby Brown as Eleven
Credit: Netflix

As with many young stars in Hollywood, the success of Stranger Things, along with other hits like Enola Holmes and Godzilla, has prompted Millie Bobby Brown to transform herself into something of a mogul. The actress has her own beauty brand, Florence by Mills, featuring arrays of skincare and makeup products, has begun producing her own projects like the upcoming films The Girls I’ve Been and Damsel, and is a brand ambassador for the fashion house Louis Vuitton.

Among all of these projects is Millie Bobby Brown’s debut novel, Nineteen Steps, a World War II-era story based on her own family history. Brown has described it as a “historical novel about an amazing, courageous 18-year-old woman called Nellie Morris, who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, in London’s East End, while the Second World War rages on around them.”

The cover of Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown
Credit: HarperCollins

Except that now, the Stranger Things star is getting caught in a massive fan backlash as Millie Bobby Brown is alleged to have hired a notable author to ghostwrite a story reportedly about her own family.

Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Won’t Release For Years, Report Say

Millie Bobby Brown and ‘Nineteen Steps’

The Enola Holmes star recently appeared at a Waterstones bookstore in London to promote Nineteen Steps, but a now-deleted Twitter post ignited controversy for Brown.

Although Millie Bobby Brown is credited as the writer of the book (which is being heavily promoted as part of her burgeoning brand), many commentators are claiming that it was actually ghostwritten by author Kathleen McGurl.

Enola Holmes inspecting a piece of paper
Credit: Netflix

McGurl is actually credited in the interior of the book and wrote a blog post stating, “I was sent a lot of research that had already been pulled together by Millie and her family, and plenty of ideas, and we had a couple of Zoom calls… And then I knuckled down and wrote the first draft, while Millie continued sending more ideas via WhatsApp. The book went through several drafts since then, as we refined the story.”

While celebrity authors working with established writers to craft books is not unusual, people online are angry that Nineteen Steps is being so prominently marketed as the work of the actress alone and diminishing the credit given to Kathleen McGurl.

Related: All the ‘Stranger Things’ Characters Ranked (Good Guys Only)

‘Stranger Things’ Star Backlash

Twitter users have been piling on the Netflix star, saying things like, “The way celebrities portray their books as being written by them when they’ve got a ghostwriter is infuriating. Why not be honest about it? Millie Bobby Brown was on The One Show last night, and there was no mention of anyone else behind it.”

Others have commented on the state of the publishing industry in general, with statements like, “This is no shade to #MillieBobbyBrown, but if even someone with all the opportunities and support she has needs a #GhostWriter, then maybe we just need less celebrity fronted literature 🤷🏿‍♀️.”

Still more have even compared the use of a ghostwriter to the growing issue of AI, saying “No moral difference between using a ghostwriter or using chatbot.”

Millie Bobby Brown has not yet commented on the subject of ghostwriters.

Do you think Millie Bobby Brown should be crediting McGurl as a co-writer? Is it an ethical question? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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