Millie Bobby Brown is pulling back the curtain on her experience as a first-time mom.
“This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption,” Brown and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, wrote via Instagram in August 2025. “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy. And then there were 3. Love, Millie and Jake Bongiovi.
The couple, who married in May 2024, have not publicly revealed their daughter’s name or identity. Keep scrolling for the Stranger Things actress’ candid comments about motherhood:
The Adoption Process
Brown revealed on a June 2026 episode of the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast that the waiting period was the most difficult part of the entire adoption experience.
“Every journey is different. Waiting for the call is the hardest part,” Brown said. “I just would always encourage you to understand that every journey is different. Don’t compare yourself to others, don’t compare yourself to statistics, don’t compare yourself to other families, but your baby is out there, and you’ll find each other.”
Millie Bobby Brown Recalls ‘Magical Phone Call’ Solidifying Adoption
During her July 2026 appearance on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast, Brown recounted the “magical phone call” she received to inform her that the couple’s adoption plan was approved.
“Getting the call, I mean, I will never forget it. It was the most surreal feeling and yet we both knew in that moment, like that was … that we had found each other,” she gushed. “Like, ‘Oh my goodness, this is our girl, 100 percent, no doubt.’”
The actress continued, “The process is long and rightfully so; it’s a great process and, you know, in fact, it’s very thorough. I would say that’s probably the longest part, is just getting through all of that.”
Brown further revealed that she didn’t record the call, which made it an even more “special” moment.
“I think there’s something so special about it because my whole life’s recorded. My husband and I will never forget those words, where we were, what we were doing, the feeling,” she said. “I think in so many ways, that is why that shouldn’t be recorded. It’s, like, almost like you had to be there. … We were talking to someone, another adoptive mother, and it’s like, there are two ways to have a baby, one through your stomach and one through your heart, and my girl was through my heart.”
Millie Bobby Brown Claps Back at Mom-Shamers
Brown has not minced words about the criticism she has fielded since becoming a mother.
“I was like, ‘This is vicious, you are vicious,’ and I don’t have time for angry women that just need to bring you down, especially when it comes to motherhood,” Brown told
“Not Gonna Lie” host Kylie Kelce in June 2026. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s like, I can always deal with the, ‘Oh, my God, you showed your nipples? What a bitch!’ Whatever; I don’t care about that, but when you’re like, ‘You didn’t put a hat on your baby?’ I’m like, ‘Try putting a hat on my baby. I dare you [to] put a beanie on her.'”
She continued, “Stay in your own lane, put a hat on your baby and put a sock in your mouth. Sorry, the English is coming out of me, but it’s so true. Like, shut up.”
Brown further acknowledged that she receives judgment both online and in person.
“I’ve dealt with this mostly online, but when I do experience it in person, a lot of people will be like, ‘That’s a really big piece. Are you going to let her eat that?’” she said. “I know what my baby can eat. I will draw the line where necessary.”
Millie Bobby Brown Defends Jake Bongiovi
Brown addressed viral photos that sparked criticism of Bongiovi for supposedly not helping her carry bags or a stroller during her 2026 appearance on Kelce’s podcast.
“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?” Brown said in a teaser for the episode. “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.”
She added: “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.”
Millie Bobby Brown Celebrates Jake Bongiovi’s First Father’s Day
Brown gave her husband a sweet shout-out on his first Father’s Day in June 2026, sharing a snap of Bongiovi cradling their baby girl via her Instagram Stories.
“Happy Father’s Day!!!” she wrote at the time. “I knew from the moment we met, you were going to be the best dad. We love you too much, Dada.”
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
