Stranger Things star Grace Van Dien quits acting after producer’s advances

A young Stranger Things actress has revealed she’s taking a break from acting following alleged unwanted sexual advances from a movie producer.

Stranger Things star Grace Van Dien.

Grace Van Dien, known for portraying Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things, is taking a break from acting following alleged unwanted sexual advances from a movie producer.

In 2022, the actor began streaming her video game play on Twitch and has since amassed 296,000 followers. She streams under the username BlueFillie.

On Tuesday (March 7), Dien revealed on a livestream that she has turned down multiple acting projects following her breakthrough role in the latest season of the Netflix hit due to alleged disturbing behaviour from an unnamed movie producer. Clips of her stream have since begun trending on social media, with many expressing their support for the young actor.

Fans are throwing their support behind Stranger Things star Grace Van Dien.

“I have seen that some people are upset with me for turning down acting projects and deciding to stream more, but the fact of the matter is the last few projects I’ve worked on, I didn’t have the best experiences with some of the people I had to work for,” Dien shared.

“With streaming, I get to choose who I hang out with, who I talk to, etc. etc.,” she continued. “One of the last movies I did, one of the producers asked me to … like, he hired a girl that he was sleeping with and he had her ask me to have a threesome with them.”

Van Dien says streaming is better for her mental health than acting.

The actor said that she “cried” and “was so upset” over the experience. “But when people are like, ‘How is streaming better for your mental health?’ That’s how. I get to stay inside my house and play video games and I don’t have my boss asking me to have sex with them,” Dien added (via Variety).

The young actor won’t be away for long, though. Dien revealed that she is developing her own projects, saying, “I’m hoping that someone decides to fund them because then I can be in control of my own set, and I’m not gonna ask my actors to sleep with me.”

Van Dien is stepping back from acting, and will now “wait for the right project” to return.

Since videos of the stream have gone viral, Dien tweeted, “As I get older, my work priorities are changing. I’m waiting for the right project/the right people to work with. It’s nice to feel calm.”

The actor also shared a poster for a short film that she produced, directed and starred in titled Monster and Muses.

Dien’s father, Casper Dien, tweeted his support for her, writing, “I am so proud of my Daughter @GraceVanDien. The sky is the limit for you!”

In addition to Stranger Things, Dien has starred in the 2022 drama Roost, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival to mixed reception. She has two projects in post-production: Aaah! Roach! and The Fix.

This story originally appeared on Decider and is republished here with permission.

Originally published as Stranger Things star Grace Van Dien quits acting after producer’s advances