Caleb McLaughlin has decided to speak out about his personal struggles with the Stranger Things fandom. Following the premiere of season four on Netflix, viewers heard McLaughlin speak about his experiences dealing with rampant racism from fans starting from 14 years old at Heroes Comic Con in Belgium. In his speech, he condemned the racism and bigotry he was subjected to throughout the show’s six-year run.
As he explained to the audience, “When I was younger, it definitely affected me a lot because — this is a deep conversation right now — you’re like: ‘Why am I the least favorite? The least amount of followers? I’m on the same show as everybody from season one.’ It definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid. My very first Comic-Con, some people didn’t stand in my line because I was Black. Some people told me: ‘Oh, I didn’t want to be in line because you were mean to Eleven,’ even now some people don’t follow me or don’t support me because I’m Black.”
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During the Q&A, McLaughlin noted that it could be challenging to speak out about the discrimination he has experienced. “Sometimes overseas, you’ll feel the racism,” he said. “You’ll feel the bigotry, and sometimes it’s hard to talk about and for people to understand.”
McLaughlin said his parents helped him understand that his lack of recognition was due to racism after talking to fans. McLaughlin has considerably fewer followers than any of his Stranger Things costars. “My parents had to be like: ‘It’s a sad truth, but it’s because you’re the Black child on the show,’” he told the crowd. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy. Because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I’m not loved?’”
McLaughlin is far from the only Hollywood actor affected by racism. In recent months, some black actors have been victimized by racist comments from fans after announcing their new roles. The Little Mermaid trailer went viral shortly after its release. In addition to receiving racist backlash for starring a “black mermaid,” the trailer, which revealed singer Halle Bailey as Ariel, garnered more than 1.5 million dislikes. In response, fans took to the comments section to condemn the racism and praise the teaser’s features.
After House Of The Dragon cast him as The Sea Snake, Lord Corlys Velaryon, actor Steve Toussaint also suffered racist remarks. In a recent Men’s Health interview, he recently called out racist viewers, saying, “They are happy with a dragon flying. They’re happy with white hair and violet-colored eyes, but a rich Black guy? That’s beyond the pale.” It’s been an uphill battle for 20-year-old McLaughlin, who asserted at the Belgium Comic Con that he chooses to fight hate with love to create a more positive fandom and world. “That’s why, with my platform, I’m going to spread positivity and love because I’m not giving hate back to people who are giving hate to me,” he said.
