Stranger things star Gaten Matarazzo recalls a disturbing incident in which he was hit by a woman in her forties who claimed she was in love with him when he was just thirteen.
The 21-year-old actor first rose to fame as Dustin Henderson in the film Netflix series in 2016, which is now heading into its fifth and final season.
Besides Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brownthe then-teenagers gained worldwide fame through the show's immediate success, which also led to some shocking encounters with fans.
Recalling one of his recent interactions, Gaten revealed: 'Funny is one way of putting it, there are a few that are a little awkward, like I remember doing one recently where this wasn't funny but the reactions around them were pretty funny, where this woman in her forties straight up said, “I've had a crush on you since you were thirteen,” and I thought, “That's disturbing.”
“I'm sure she just meant, 'Oh, this boy is cute,'” he continued, speaking at the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast.
“But then she doubled down: 'I'm aware of the age difference.'”
Gaten recalled how even the woman's daughter, who was there at the time, was shocked and said, “What the f**k?” while standing next to his own mother.
“I looked at my mother, and my mother was sitting there, my mother was sitting next to me, that was crazy.”
Gaten added that he's also had a few “butt grabs” over the years, saying, “If someone grabs you by the stomach, you should be able to say, 'Hey, f**k off.'”
The Broadway star previously told Metro.co.uk that it was 'weird' growing up in front of the cameras, but he had come to see it as a blessing.
'It's really strange. Sometimes I see those videos of myself when I'm 13, I just think 'uuugh!' That's the age where you're the most uncomfortable you'll ever be in your life,” he began.
“I feel like if someone had to watch videos of themselves at the age of 13, they would just run under their bed, but I've realized it's a blessing,” he said.
“Not many people can look back on documentation of themselves growing up.
'When I'm older, I'm sure I'll learn to giggle about it. And one day I will be able to show it to my children.'
Stranger Things can be viewed on Netflix
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