“Stranger Things” star Gaten Matarazzo revealed on the “Inside of You” podcast that he’s had a few interactions with “Stranger Things” fans that have been “a little uncomfortable.” A recent encounter with a mother in her 40s was especially “insane,” as the mother openly told Matarazzo that she had a crush on him while standing in front of her own daughter. Matarazzo thought she might be joking, but she “doubled down.”
“I did one very recently — and this is not very funny, but the reactions around it were quite funny — where this woman in her 40s said straight up, ‘I’ve had a crush on you since you were 13,’” Matarazzo said (via Us Magazine). “And I was like, ‘That’s upsetting.’ I’m sure she just meant, ‘Aw, this kid’s cute.’ But then she doubled down.”
“She was like, ‘I’m aware of the age difference.’ And then I was like, ‘Alright,’” he continued. “And her daughter was with her, and her daughter goes, ‘Mom, what the fuck?’ I swear to God.”
Matarazzo said “that was insane,” but it also wasn’t the first time a fan had crossed the line with him. He said he’s taken photos with fans and “I’ve had a few butt grabs for sure.” He’s now 21 years old and in production on the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” one of the biggest shows on Netflix. Matarazzo has been a series regular on the show since its beginning.
“With this show it is quite clear and I am very well aware — and would like my professional team — to understand that I am very OK with ‘Stranger Things’ being very likely the biggest thing I will ever do,” Matarazzo said on the podcast. “And it will most likely be the thing I am remembered for even if I consistently work after this.
“And I am so cool with that as long as it facilitates happiness going forward, security and more work going forward,” he added. “What more could I ask for? I don’t want to maintain a sense of relevance at this point when it isn’t even something I particularly enjoy that much.”
Watch Matarazzo’s full interview on the “Inside of You” podcast in the video below.
From Variety US