David Harbour Is Keeping a Low Profile Ahead of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Premiere
David Harbour is keeping out of the limelight ahead of the Stranger Things Season 5 premiere.
The actor – who plays Chief Jim Hopper in the hit Netflix series – has been MIA during the runup to the show’s final season, which debuts November 26. His absence comes as he faces significant upheaval in his personal and professional life, including his estranged wife Lily Allen’s recently released breakup album and reports that he harassed co-star Millie Bobby Brown on set.
Did David Harbour skip the ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 press tour?
In the weeks leading up to the Stranger Things Season 5 premiere, many of the show’s cast members have been doing the media rounds to talk up the sci-fi drama’s epic conclusion. But Harbour, 50, hasn’t been among them, which raised some eyebrows.
While Harbour’s absence might seem odd to fans, the truth is that he was never confirmed to participate in the press tour, a source told E! News. Instead, he’s been busy at work on Courtney Cox’s new Evil Genius.
Still, Harbour’s conflict is convenient, as it allows him to dodge questions about Allen’s album, West End Girl, which addresses the demise of their relationship. (The couple announced their divorce in early 2025 after four years of marriage.) In the new songs, she opens up about infidelity and a sense of betrayal in their open marriage.
Harbour is also facing allegations of inappropriate behavior on the Stranger Things Set. People reports that Brown, who plays Hopper’s surrogate daughter Eleven, filed a harassment and bullying complaint against the actor ahead of filming season 5. Harbour’s alleged misconduct was not of a sexual nature, according to reports.
Harbour is expected to attend the official Stranger Things premiere on November 6 in Los Angeles.
‘Stranger Things’ star recently spoke about ‘the pain and the slip-ups’
Harbour hasn’t spoken specifically about the end of his marriage or Brown’s allegations. But in a recent interview, the Violent Night star admitted that while he had some regrets, the difficult moments also shaped him as an actor.
“You either accept your path completely and realise that even the pain and the slip-ups and the mistakes are all part of the journey, and that there’s truth and growth, wisdom and deeper empathy and connection in all that,” he told Esquire Spain (via CNN). “It’s kind of like a house of cards, the minute you try to change one thing you kind of have to change it all.”
“If I were to change anything, I’d change everything, and just make my life happy and silly and like, whatever, and then I wouldn’t be an artist anymore,” he said. “And that would suck.”
For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.
