Millie Bobby Brown wants her fans to know it's not a strang-er thing for her to grow up.
The Stranger Things actress, who celebrated her 17th birthday in February, recently opened up about what it's been like to go from child star to a young lady all while being in the spotlight. Spoiler alert: The Netflix star says fans "aren't ready to accept" this transition in her life.
"I'm only 17, but at the end of the day, I'm learning to be a woman. I'm learning to be a young woman," she said in a video interview with MTV News on Wednesday, March 31. "So being a young girl, people watch you grow up, right? And they've almost become invested in your growth and your journey. But they aren't ready to accept the fact that you're growing up."
The English actress explained that her fashion choices are usually a topic of conversation. And it's not always in the best way.
As she described, "So I wear a crop top and people are like, 'She's 10.' I'm like, 'No...I am 17.' That's a thing that girls do. Or I wear high heels. Or I wear an outfit to an award show and they're like, 'She looks 50.' No, it's because you've watched me since I was 10. That's why you think that."
For Millie, she said these transformative years have been the most challenging—but not necessarily for herself, for her fans.
"I think that's what I found has been quite difficult: the transitioning period," the Godzilla vs. Kong star explained. "They're not accepting it and I've completely accepted it. You know, I'm ready. I'm like, 'It's been a while. Let me wear a high heel!' I'm not going to be playing those young girls anymore."
She added, "It's kind of like, I have 50 million people like my parents. My parents are like, 'Yay! Thank God. You're 17.' Like, 'Put on a pair of high heels. Let's go!'"
This isn't the first time the teenager has discussed the disheartening comments she's received about her appearance.
Back in 2019, Millie told Harper's Bazaar, "It's always difficult to dress for a red carpet event because a lot of people have opinions and unfortunately you say you won't listen to it, but you actually kind of have to."
"For me," she continued, "I sit there and think, I'm not going to listen to what they have to say, journalists or whoever wants to write badly about my inappropriate outfit."
Just last year, the Florence by Mills founder detailed a fan encounter, in which she felt "disrespected" after declining to be filmed by the fan during a Christmas shopping trip with her mom.
"It just makes me upset when people try to push the boundary, and I just wish people were more respectful," she said in an Instagram Story video at the time. "I'm still trying to navigate this all and it's still overwhelming...Where are my rights to say no?"
During her MTV interview, the beauty mogul shared how these experiences have taken a toll on her mental health, saying, "I've struggled with anxiety and I'm learning to cope with it. I meditate, I journal a lot, I take a lot of time for myself."
"I don't want anything to hold me back," she proclaimed, "which I think is the most important thing...I want to evolve."
Watch her full interview in the video above.