Stranger Things' Grace Van Dien Steps Back From Acting After Alleged Sexual Harassment

Grace Van Dien, who played Chrissy in Stranger Things, alleged during a Twitch stream that she has been turning down acting roles after facing alleged sexual harassment from a movie producer.

By Kelly Gilmore Mar 12, 2023 2:22 PMTags

Grace Van Dien is alleging that unwanted sexual advances led to a career shift in her life.

The 26-year-old actress, who played Chrissy Cunningham on the series Stranger Things, recently said that she has turned down four movie roles over the past two and a half weeks after facing alleged sexual harassment from an unnamed movie producer, per Variety. Van Dien noted that she is instead focusing her time on streaming more. 

"The fact of the matter is the last few projects I've worked on, I didn't have the best experiences with some of the people I had to work for," Van Dien said during a March 7 Twitch stream, per the outlet. "One of the last movies I did, one of the producers hired a girl that he was sleeping with and then he had her ask me to have a threesome with them."

Noting that the alleged experience brought her to tears, Van Dien shared that streaming is better for her mental health.

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Stranger Things Kids Through the Years

"I get to stay inside my house and play video games and I don't have my boss asking me to have sex with them," she said. "I'm happy here, and I'm developing my own projects. I'm hoping that someone decides to fund them because then I can be in control of my own set, and I'm not gonna ask my actors to sleep with me."

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Per the outlet, Van Dien shared that she doesn't plan to stay out of show business forever, but hopes to do so on her own terms.

More recently, Van Dien shared a message on what she is looking for in the industry, writing on Twitter March 9, "As i get older, my work priorities are changing. i'm waiting for the right project/the right people to work with. it's nice to feel calm."

Her dad, Starship Troopers actor Casper Van Dien, later voiced support for the actress. "I am so proud of my Daughter @GraceVanDien," he tweeted March 10. "The sky is the limit for you!"

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