Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes 2 Kiss Story Sparks Criticism

Millie Bobby Brown, star of Enola Holmes 2, has sparked controversy after admitting to kissing her co-star without warning and punching him on-set.

Millie Bobby Brown’s story about kissing her Enola Holmes 2 co-star Louis Partridge has sparked some serious criticism. Brown, best known for her breakout role as Eleven on Stranger Things, starred in the first Enola Holmes film in 2020. Enola Holmes became a massive success, launching as one of the most-watched original Netflix film releases of all-time. The film’s popularity garnered a sequel, Enola Holmes 2, which was released on Netflix in November. Similarly to the first film, the sequel topped Netflix’s viewership charts, with 64.08 million hours streamed in 93 countries during its first week. Brown starred in both films as Enola Holmes, alongside Henry Cavill as her older brother Sherlock, and Partridge as Enola’s love interest Lord Tewkesbury.

In an interview with Netflix posted to their TikTok account, Brown shares a story about working with Partridge that has since sparked controversy. Brown recalls a moment in the film where Enola kisses Tewkesbury very passionately. It was an unscripted moment that took Partridge by surprise, and Brown calls Partridge’s stunned reaction “so cute.” In response, professional intimacy coordinator Jessica Steinrock filmed a TikTok which criticized Brown’s sudden kiss, saying that while Brown and Partridge likely have a good rapport, Brown still kissed him without his consent. See the Netflix interview and Steinrock’s response to it below:

Related: Why Shadow & Bone Was Right To Fix The Kiss Consent Issue

Why Millie Bobby Brown’s Interview Is So Controversial

In the same video, Brown also recalls Enola trying to teach Tewkesbury self-defense, which she does by punching him several times. While these punches were scripted and meant to be fake, Brown says that because her and Partridge are good friends, she didn’t feel the need to pull her punches. Brown says “I wasn’t doing stunts, I really was hurting him, and by the end of it, he said ‘Millie, can you just fake punch me?’ I was fully just getting him right in the stomach.” Brown again calls this scene “very cute,” and seems to recall both the sudden kiss and the actual punches with fondness.

In her response, Steinrock points out some obvious problems about Brown’s stories, including that there is a power imbalance between Brown and Partridge. Brown is not only the star of Enola Holmes 2, but a producer as well. Steinrock also says that it’s little things like surprise kisses that can escalate over time. TikTok users have since become divided over the interview, with some saying that Steinrock is overreacting, and that if a kiss was in the script, Partridge shouldn’t have been so surprised by Brown’s actions. However, others agree that if a surprise kiss were to happen like this in any other profession, it certainly wouldn’t be so readily accepted.

It’s not only Brown’s surprise kiss comment that has raised eyebrows, Her admission that she actually hurt her co-star Partridge, and seems to recall both moments as cute and funny things, has caused some friction. Responses to Netflix’s original post are as equally divided, with some saying that Brown tossing punches is just something friends do, while others said that an intimacy coordinator should have stepped in. Whether fans agree with Brown’s actions or not, her behavior on the Enola Holmes 2 set has certainly become a divisive topic.

Next: Lord Tewkesbury’s Fan Message To Enola Holmes Is Deeper Than You Realize

Source: Netflix, @intimacycoordinator/TikTok