The Stranger Things Cast Has Been Involved In Some Odd And Surprising Scandals

Highlights

• Joe Keery's Twitter account was hacked, causing controversy with disturbing posts and insults towards fellow Stranger Things cast members.
• Gaten Matarazzo faced criticism for hosting the reality series Prank Encounters, with accusations of deceptive contestant recruitment.
• Stranger Things actors received backlash for handing out peanut butter sandwiches at the Emmy Awards, with concerns about nut allergies.

Although a lot of Netflix shows have become hits, like Orange Is The New Black and Ginny & Georgia, it's hard to say that any series has taken off like Stranger Things. So far, every element has come together like magic, from the chemistry between the cast members to the intriguing season finales. While no one can handle the wait for the last season, it's sad to think that it will be over soon.

However, not every part of fame is fun, and several of the Stranger Things stars have learned that lesson firsthand. While Millie Bobby Brown has been part of some scandals, so have some of her Stranger Things co-stars...

Joe Keery Was Involved In A Twitter Controversy After Becoming Famous For Playing Steve On Stranger Things

Joe Keeryplays Steve Harrington on Stranger Things, a teenager with a "bad boy" reputation who is actually a nice, caring person. In 2020, Metro.co.uk reported that Joe Keery's Twitter account was hacked. This caused a lot of confusion and upset, at least until fans realized what was going on.

According to Metro.co.uk, Keery's Twitter account had several disturbing posts. One tweet talked about the COVID-19 pandemic, another had racist language, and several tweets insulted other Stranger Things cast members.

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It turns out that Joe Keery's Twitter account was hacked. According to Metro.co.uk, it seems like the Chuckling Squad was behind it.

Keery let his fans know that these tweets didn't come from him and said:

"Hey everyone, I was hacked as I'm sure everyone knows. What a bummer that someone would go to such great lengths to spread hate. I want to apologize for the horrible comments that were posted, it was deeply upsetting to me. Much love to you all in these crazy times."

No one thought that Joe Keery was really behind these tweets, but it was still surprising to hear that his social media account had been hacked.

Has Joe Keery Played TV Characters Besides Steve From Stranger Things?

• Emmett in two episodes of Chicago Fire (2015)
• Tony Trichter III in one episode of Empire (2015)
• Scenester in one episode of Sirens (2015)
• Officer Ed Reinhardt in No Activity (2019-2021)
• Duke Goolies in Death To 2020 and Death To 2021
• Gator Tillman in Fargo (2023)

Of course, given how successful Keery has become such playing Steve on Stranger Things, it makes sense that this would happen to him. Keery, however, isn't someone who wants to have attention paid to him. When Keery was interviewed by Esquire, he said, "That’s not the reason why I’m an actor – I just wanted to make a living doing it. Our culture is so centred around fame and it’s a really dark thing, that’s another thing to think about and evaluate."

When asked if he could pinpoint the moment when he turned into a celebrity, Keery said, "I did notice it through social media though. Isn’t it weird that that’s the qualifier these days?"

Stranger Things Star Gaten Mattarazzo's Reality Series Prank Encounters Was Criticized

There's no doubt that some of the Stranger Things actors wonder what their futures will look like once the hit series ends. While the stars will always be famous for playing these sweet, funny, and special characters, they have been involved in some other projects during breaks from filming. But when Gaten Mattarazzo hosted Prank Encounters, a reality series, people were unhappy.

According to Decider, people were upset about Prank Encounters because they thought something was wrong with the way that contestants were told (or not told) about the show. There were many conversations on Reddit accusing the people who worked on the show of pretending that contestants were being hired for full-time jobs instead of trying out to be on a prank show.

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However, that isn't what happened. Netflix told Decider, “The pranks in Prank Encounters are spooky, supernatural, and over the top, and everyone had a great time. All participants came in with the expectation this was a one-day, hourly gig and everyone got paid for their time.”

Even though people were angry about something that didn't even happen, Prank Encounters still received an overwhelming amount of criticism. It's possible to say that this was a drag for Mattarazzo, who must have been excited about hosting a series. As Redditor @bluecapella noted in a thread, "The amount of negative reaction this show has received even before being released is mind-boggling."

The Stranger Things Actors Were Criticized For Giving Out Peanut Butter Sandwiches At The Emmys

In 2016, some of the Stranger Things actors gave peanut butter sandwiches to the audience at the Emmy Awards. Caleb McLaughlin, Millie Bobby Brown, and Gaten Mattarazzo looked like they had fun. However, according to The Sun, this quickly resulted in a backlash. People thought this was a terrible idea since there are so many people who are allergic to peanuts and other nuts.

As The Sun reported, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America VP of Marketing and Communications, Adam Bailine, wasn't happy about this. He said:

“We received complaints and concerns regarding the broadcast. This is very much on our radar… It is extremely risky to pull a stunt like this without considering the danger.”

According to the Sun, while Sofia Vergara ate the sandwich and seemed content, Emily Ratajkowski said "they weren't that good."

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It's unlikely that the Stranger Things actors realized that they would receive negative feedback for doing this at the Emmy Awards, and it doesn't seem like the issue of nut allergies crossed their minds. Even though they had good intentions, there could have been celebrities at the event who would get sick if they accidentally ate one of the sandwiches or smelled it.