Millie Bobby Brown hit headlines earlier this year when she was pictured pushing her daughter in her buggy while her husband Jake Bongiovi walked along next to her empty handed – leading to some people suggesting that he was being unchivalrous by not helping his other half.
Millie Bobby Brown has insisted she’s more than capable of carrying her own belongings.
The 22-year-old actress hit headlines earlier this year when she was pictured pushing her daughter in her buggy while her husband Jake Bongiovi walked along next to her empty handed – leading to some people suggesting that he was being unchivalrous by not helping his other half.
However, in a chat on the Not Gonna Lie podcast, the Stranger Things star hit back at the criticism, as she began: “Hi, I’m Millie Bobbie Brown and I’m not gonna lie, when did women become incapable of holding their own bags, car seats and stuff?
“This stems from me holding all of my suitcases and bags and my kid 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.
“We’re all about empowering girls and, ‘You got it’ and ‘You don’t need a man.’ But then when I’m like, ‘Ok, I can carry my own things,’ people are like, ‘Where’s your husband?’
“I can also do it on my own. Nobody knows my husband. My husband is the most polite, sweet, will-do-anything-for-me. But he also knows I’m capable.”
The podcast is hosted by Taylor Swift’s soon to be sister-in-law Kylie Kelce, who has four daughters with her husband Jason Kelce, who agreed with Millie before weighing in on the debate herself.
She said: “I love this. The number of times that I have people come up to me and be like, ‘Do you need help with that bag?’ and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, I really appreciate it but if I needed help, I’d ask for it.’
“The first person I’m asking — you guessed it — my husband. Thank you.”
Kylie went on to say that while she doesn’t want to make “the idea of chivalry dead”, she does want men to realise that the majority of the time, women are strong and independent themselves.
She continued: “I want there to be a degree of politeness and catering to your woman and whatever, but at the same time, don’t act like I’m broken or dainty.”
Millie then agreed, shouting: “I’m not broken!”
She and Jake, the son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, started dating in 2021 and announced their engagement in 2023.
The couple married in May 2024, and announced in August 2025 that they had become parents after adopting a baby girl.
Millie’s Stranger Things castmate Noah Schnapp is the baby’s godfather.
Millie Bobby Brown defends ‘polite, sweet’ husband after criticism
