Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer apologized for their "frayed tempers" on Saturday, following accusations that the showrunners verbally abused women on set.
Instagram user @peytonnbrown, who describes herself as a "lady grip" in Atlanta, posted, deleted and then reposted (with comments disabled), a claim that she quit the Stranger Things crew after witnessing "two men in high positions of power on that set seek out and verbally abuse multiple women."
She said on Friday, "I promised myself that if I were ever in a situation to say something that I would. I have 11.5 thousand followers who can hear me say this, TIME IS UP." The user did not identify the Duffers by name in the post, but did reportedly mention them in the comments section, which has now been disabled. H. Peyton Brown is listed as a grip on the Stranger Things IMDb page.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the Duffers responded:
"We are deeply upset to learn that someone felt uncomfortable on our set. Due to the high-stress nature of production, tempers occasionally get frayed, and for that, we apologize. However, we think it is important not to mischaracterize our set, where we believe strongly 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."
Netflix also responded in a statement, saying, "We looked into the concern that was raised when we heard of the allegation on Thursday, and found no wrongdoing. Maintaining a safe, respectful atmosphere on set is important to us, and we know it is to the Duffer Brothers as well."
Since the initial accusation, more women backed up Brown's account. "I am one of those women Peyton referenced," wrote script supervisor Lori Grabowski in her own Instagram on Sunday.
"It was very real not only to me, but other women on the set that also want to share their story. Peyton Brown witnessed not only my experience, but the similar experiences of others." Grabowski, who also recently worked as a script supervisor on Black Panther, continued, "I don't know Ms. Brown very well, but what I do know is there is absolutely nothing false about her statement. Myself and other women who are willing to share their stories of our experiences on the set of Stranger Things, are living proof. I was the Script Supervisor of the show for nearly 2 full seasons. I just could not stand by and let Peyton be called a liar, because what she said is, unfortunately, very true."
Stranger Things is expected to return for Season 3 in late 2018 or early 2019.
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