Millie Bobby Brown defends husband Jake Bongiovi after he was called out for not helping her on recent outings
Topics: Millie Bobby Brown, Feminism, Stranger Things
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: XNY/Star Max/GC Images
Topics: Millie Bobby Brown, Feminism, Stranger Things
Millie Bobby Brown has shut down critics who questioned why her husband Jake Bongiovi wasn't helping her carry bags and luggage on recent outings, and she's made it pretty clear she doesn't need the help.
The Stranger Things star appeared on Kylie Kelce's podcast Not Gonna Lie, where she addressed the online commentary head-on, calling out what she sees as a double standard in the way people talk about women and independence.
"When did women become incapable of holding their own bags, car seats, and stuff?" she said.
"This stems from me holding all of my suitcases and bags and my kids, and people are like, 'your husband doesn't hold a single thing.' Because I'm three miles ahead. I have been planning this all night."
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Brown didn't stop there, pointing out the contradiction at the heart of the criticism. "We're all about empowering girls. And like, you got it. You don't need a man," she said.
"But then when I'm like, okay, I can carry my own things, people are like, where's your husband? And I'm like, I can also do it on my own."
She was equally quick to defend Bongiovi himself, making clear the optics don't reflect the reality of their relationship.
"Nobody knows my husband. My husband is the most polite, sweet, like will do anything for me. But he also knows I'm capable."
Host Kylie Kelce, wife of NFL star Jason Kelce, said she related entirely, sharing that she regularly gets offered unsolicited help with bags.
"If I needed help, I'd ask for it," Kelce said. "The first person I'm asking? My husband."
Brown agreed, but was careful not to write off chivalry entirely. "I enjoy the idea of chivalry. I don't want it to be dead. I want there to be a degree of politeness and catering to your woman and whatever," she said. "But at the same time, don't act like I'm broken or dainty. I'm not."
Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, son of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, first sparked romance rumours in June 2021 when he posted a selfie with her on Instagram.
What followed was a whirlwind: they went Instagram official later that year, got engaged in April 2023 after Bongiovi proposed underwater while scuba diving on holiday, and quietly tied the knot in May 2024 in a small ceremony with close family.
A larger, lavish second wedding followed at Villa Cetinale in Italy that October, with Brown's Stranger Things co-star Matthew Modine, aka Dr. Brenner, officiating.
The couple then became parents in August 2025, announcing they had welcomed a baby girl through adoption.
"We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy," they wrote on Instagram.
Jon Bon Jovi has been openly supportive of the pair since the beginning. "Millie is wonderful. Jake is very, very happy," he told Andy Cohen back in 2023.
Whether or not Jake Bongiovi carries the bags, it sounds like the marriage is doing just fine.